# oi

> English word · Interjection · IPA /ɔɪ/ · frequency rank #11,081

## Definitions
1. Said to get someone's attention; hey.
2. An expression of surprise.
3. An informal greeting, similar to hi.

## Etymology
Variant of the interjection hoy with h-dropping in working class and Cockney speech; first recorded in the 1930s. Compare also unrelated Portuguese oi and Japanese おい (oi).

## Easily confused with
- **on** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-on)
- **or** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-or)
- **OK** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-ok)
- **op** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-op)
- **OS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-os)
- **oz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-oz)
- **OT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-ot)
- **ou** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-ou)
- **ow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-ow)
- **oo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-oo)
- **om** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-om)
- **ox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-ox)
- **OJ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-oj)
- **oy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-oy)
- **ov** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-ov)
- **one** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-one)
- **out** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-out)
- **our** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-our)
- **old** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-old)
- **own** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oi-vs-own)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/oi