ointment

/ˈɔɪntm(ə)nt/

//ˈɔɪntm(ə)nt// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"ointment" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ointment” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,768. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,768
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A viscous preparation of oils and/or fats, usually containing medication, used as a treatment or as an emollient.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ointment · ointment · English

ointment · rank #29,768 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #29,768
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH offshoot

Nearest frequency peer: offshoot (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “ointment”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “ointment” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

ointment vs ornament
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for ointment
PropertyValue
Headwordointment
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɔɪntm(ə)nt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#29,768
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ointment”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).ointmentlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “offshoot” (#29,767), “onscreen” (#29,769), “onshore” (#29,770). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “ointment” is #29,768. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around ointment (IPA /ˈɔɪntm(ə)nt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #29,768 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for ointment, with forms such as "iontment", "oinmtent", and "oinntment". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "ornament", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: A later form (as if oint + -ment) of Middle English oinement, borrowed from Old French oignement (“an anointing”), from oigner, oindre, ongier (“to anoint”), from Latin ung(u)ō (“I anoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃engʷ- (“to smear, anoint”). Partly dis… The correct English form is ointment, spelled O-I-N-T-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A viscous preparation of oils and/or fats, usually containing medication, used as a treatment or as an emollient.
  2. 2
    A substance used to anoint, as in religious rituals.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how ointment appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic ointment for the wound.
  2. She applied a soothing herbal ointment to her dry skin.

Etymology

A later form (as if oint + -ment) of Middle English oinement, borrowed from Old French oignement (“an anointing”), from oigner, oindre, ongier (“to anoint”), from Latin ung(u)ō (“I anoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃engʷ- (“to smear, anoint”). Partly displaced native Old English sealf, whence modern salve.

Synonyms

salveunguentpomatumpomadepomate

This word in other languages

pomada(Español)pommade(Français)Salbe(Deutsch)pomada(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iontment
  • oinmtent
  • oinntment
  • ointemnt
  • ointmennt
  • ointmentt
  • ointmetn
  • ointmment
  • ointmnet
  • ointtment
  • oitnment
  • onitment

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ointment - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

iontment2oinmtent2oinntment1ointemnt2ointmennt1ointmentt1ointmetn2ointmment1
Edit distance from "ointment"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ointment"?
"ointment" is spelled O-I-N-T-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɔɪntm(ə)nt/.
What does "ointment" mean?
As a noun, "ointment" means: A viscous preparation of oils and/or fats, usually containing medication, used as a treatment or as an emollient.
What words are commonly confused with "ointment"?
"ointment" is commonly confused with "ornament". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ointment"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ointment" is /ˈɔɪntm(ə)nt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "ointment"?
A later form (as if oint + -ment) of Middle English oinement, borrowed from Old French oignement (“an anointing”), from oigner, oindre, ongier (“to anoint”), from Latin ung(u)ō (“I anoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃engʷ- (“to smear, anoint”). ... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "ointment", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

offshoot#29,767onscreen#29,769overkill#29,777Nagasaki#29,753

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

Moriarty12 variantsmethanol12 variantsmenswear12 variantsMatheson12 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list