okapi
/ə(ʊ)ˈkɑːpi/
"okapi" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“okapi” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 5
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A large ruminant mammal, of species Okapia johnstoni, found in the rainforests of the Congo, related to the giraffe but with a much shorter neck, a reddish-brown coat, and zebra-like stripes on the...
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | okapi |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ə(ʊ)ˈkɑːpi/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “okapi” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
okapi is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ə(ʊ)ˈkɑːpi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A large ruminant mammal, of species Okapia johnstoni, found in the rainforests of the Congo, related to the giraffe but with a much shorter neck, a reddish-brown coat, and zebra-like stripes on the...".
Zero misspellings are on record for okapi in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Mvuba okapi. The correct English form is okapi, spelled O-K-A-P-I.
Definition
- 1A large ruminant mammal, of species Okapia johnstoni, found in the rainforests of the Congo, related to the giraffe but with a much shorter neck, a reddish-brown coat, and zebra-like stripes on the hindquarters.
Etymology
Borrowed from Mvuba okapi.
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 “okapi”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is O-K-A-P-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ə(ʊ)ˈkɑːpi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.