omen

/ˈəʊmən/

//ˈəʊmən// noun

"omen" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“omen” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #24,845 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#24,845
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Something which portends or is perceived to portend either a good or evil event or circumstance in the future, or which causes a foreboding; a portent or augury.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

omen vs on
50% similar
omen vs one
50% similar
omen vs own
50% similar

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

Key facts for omen
PropertyValue
Headwordomen
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈəʊmən/
Letters4
Frequency rank#24,845
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “omen” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for omen is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈəʊmən/. Corpus data places it at rank #24,845 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for omen, with forms such as "moen", "oemn", and "omenn". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "on", "one", "own", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin ōmen (“foreboding, omen”). The correct English form is omen, spelled O-M-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Something which portends or is perceived to portend either a good or evil event or circumstance in the future, or which causes a foreboding; a portent or augury.
  2. 2
    A thing of prophetic significance.

Etymology

From Latin ōmen (“foreboding, omen”).

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: moen,oemn,omenn,ommen,omne

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

moen2oemn2omenn1ommen1omne2
Edit distance from "omen"

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 "omen"?
"omen" is spelled O-M-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈəʊmən/.
What does "omen" mean?
As a noun, "omen" means: Something which portends or is perceived to portend either a good or evil event or circumstance in the future, or which causes a foreboding; a portent or augury.
What words are commonly confused with "omen"?
"omen" is commonly confused with "on", "one", "own". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "omen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "omen" is /ˈəʊmən/. 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 "omen"?
From Latin ōmen (“foreboding, omen”). 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.

Using “omen”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is O-M-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈəʊmən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “on” - see the side-by-side comparison. omen vs on
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list