oh dear
"oh-dear" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“oh dear” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an interjection. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An expression of dismay, concern, worry or disapproval.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | oh dear |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Interjection |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “oh dear” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
oh dear is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aninterjection. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "An expression of dismay, concern, worry or disapproval.".
No misspelling variants are generated for oh dear in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct English form is oh dear, spelled O-H- -D-E-A-R.
Definition
- 1An expression of dismay, concern, worry or disapproval.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “oh dear”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is O-H- -D-E-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.