# oil

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɔɪl/ · frequency rank #834

## Definitions
1. Liquid fat.
2. Petroleum-based liquid used as fuel or lubricant.
3. Petroleum.
4. An oil painting.
5. Oil paint.

## Etymology
From Middle English oyle, oile (“olive oil”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman olie, from Latin oleum (“oil, olive oil”), from Ancient Greek ἔλαιον (élaion, “olive oil”), from ἐλαία (elaía, “olive”). Compare Proto-Slavic *lojь. More at olive. Doublet of oleum. Supplanted Middle English ele (“oil”), from Old English ele (“oil”), also from Latin.

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

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