# oops

> English word · Interjection · IPA /uːps/ · frequency rank #10,737

## Definitions
1. Acknowledging a mistake.

## Etymology
A presumably 'natural' exclamation, attested in writing since 1921. Related to or a variation of whoops (itself attested since 1933). A shortening of whoops-a-daisy, whoopsie-daisy, or oops-a-daisy, which in turn is a mispronunciation of ups-a-daisy or upsy-daisy.

## Easily confused with
- **op** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-op)
- **OS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-os)
- **opt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-opt)
- **ops** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-ops)
- **oss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-oss)
- **OPM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-opm)
- **opp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-opp)
- **opa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-opa)
- **oot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-oot)
- **OTS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-ots)
- **OPI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-opi)
- **OTP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-otp)
- **Ors** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-ors)
- **OWS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-ows)
- **owns** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-owns)
- **ours** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-ours)
- **Otis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-otis)
- **owls** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-owls)
- **opus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-opus)
- **oppa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oops-vs-oppa)

## Common misspellings (4)
`oopps`, `oopss`, `oosp`, `opos`

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