OpenBSD

name

"openbsd" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“OpenBSD” is uncommon English (frequency #78,897 among 15,494 “O” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#78,897
frequency rank, English
15,494
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - a Unix-like operating system that is derived from Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD)

Key facts for OpenBSD
PropertyValue
HeadwordOpenBSD
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
Letters7
Frequency rank#78,897
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “OpenBSD” 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). OpenBSD lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

OpenBSD is uncommon English at frequency #78,897 among 15,494 “O” headwords, classed as aproper noun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "a Unix-like operating system that is derived from Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD)".

No misspelling variants are generated for OpenBSD in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From open + BSD. The correct English form is OpenBSD, spelled O-P-E-N-B-S-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    a Unix-like operating system that is derived from Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD)

Etymology

From open + BSD.

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 "OpenBSD"?
"OpenBSD" is spelled O-P-E-N-B-S-D.
What does "OpenBSD" mean?
As a proper noun, "OpenBSD" means: a Unix-like operating system that is derived from Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD)
What is the origin of the word "OpenBSD"?
From open + BSD. 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 “OpenBSD”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-P-E-N-B-S-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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