opaque

/əʊˈpeɪk/

//əʊˈpeɪk// adj

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

"opaque" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“opaque” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,914. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,914
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
7
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Neither reflecting nor emitting light.

Corpus desk

Index EN-opaque · opaque · English

opaque · rank #17,914 · 7 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,914
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH oatmeal

Nearest frequency peer: oatmeal (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “opaque”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “opaque” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for opaque
PropertyValue
Headwordopaque
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əʊˈpeɪk/
Letters6
Frequency rank#17,914
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “opaque” 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). opaque lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around opaque (IPA /əʊˈpeɪk/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #17,914 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for opaque, with forms such as "oapque", "opaqeu", and "opaqque". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English opake, from Latin opacus (“shaded, shady, dark”) (of unknown origin), later reinforced from Middle French opaque. Doublet of ubac. The correct English form is opaque, spelled O-P-A-Q-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Neither reflecting nor emitting light.
  2. 2
    Allowing little light to pass through, not translucent or transparent.
  3. 3
    Unclear, unintelligible, hard to get or explain the meaning of.
  4. 4
    Obtuse, stupid.
  5. 5
    Describes a type for which higher-level callers have no knowledge of data values or their representations; all operations are carried out by the type's defined abstract operators.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. We have agreed that heat is energy to begin with. Light is also a form of energy for when absorbed by any opaque substance it turns completely into heat.

Etymology

From Middle English opake, from Latin opacus (“shaded, shady, dark”) (of unknown origin), later reinforced from Middle French opaque. Doublet of ubac.

Synonyms

adiaphanousnontransparentopacousopacularopaquethick

Antonyms

see-throughtranslucenttransparentclearobviousobliquebrightbrilliantturbid

This word in other languages

opaco(Español)opaque(Français)matt(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • oapque
  • opaqeu
  • opaqque
  • opauqe
  • oppaque
  • opqaue
  • poaque

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of opaque - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

oapque2opaqeu2opaqque1opauqe2oppaque1opqaue2poaque2
Edit distance from "opaque"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "opaque"?
"opaque" is spelled O-P-A-Q-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əʊˈpeɪk/.
What does "opaque" mean?
As an adjective, "opaque" means: Neither reflecting nor emitting light.
What are common misspellings of "opaque"?
Common misspellings include "oapque", "opaqeu", "opaqque", "opauqe", "oppaque". The correct spelling is "opaque".
How do you pronounce "opaque"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "opaque" is /əʊˈpeɪk/. 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 "opaque"?
From Middle English opake, from Latin opacus (“shaded, shady, dark”) (of unknown origin), later reinforced from Middle French opaque. Doublet of ubac. 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 "opaque", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

pelvic#17,919porous#17,924proofs#17,927midday#17,900

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Plato7 variantsMcGee7 variantsrelic7 variantsloosen7 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "opaque". Here's where to go from here.

  • 7 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #17,914 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "O" letter cohort. O–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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