opine

/ə(ʊ)ˈpaɪn/

//ə(ʊ)ˈpaɪn// verb

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

"opine" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“opine” is uncommon English (frequency #66,898 among 15,494 “O” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,898
frequency rank, English
15,494
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To express an opinion; to state as an opinion; to suppose, consider (that).

Key facts for opine
PropertyValue
Headwordopine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ə(ʊ)ˈpaɪn/
Letters5
Frequency rank#66,898
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “opine” 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). opine 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

opine is uncommon English at frequency #66,898 among 15,494 “O” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ə(ʊ)ˈpaɪn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for opine in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French opiner, from Latin opīnor (“to hold as an opinion”), from *opīnus (“thinking, expecting”), only in negative nec-opīnus (“not expecting”) and in-opīnus (“not expected”); akin to optō (“to choose, desire”), and to apīscor (“to obta… The correct English form is opine, spelled O-P-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To express an opinion; to state as an opinion; to suppose, consider (that).
  2. 2
    To give one's formal opinion (on or upon something).
  3. 3
    to suppose, consider as correct, or entertain, an opinion.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French opiner, from Latin opīnor (“to hold as an opinion”), from *opīnus (“thinking, expecting”), only in negative nec-opīnus (“not expecting”) and in-opīnus (“not expected”); akin to optō (“to choose, desire”), and to apīscor (“to obtain”); see optate and opt.

This word in other languages

opinar(Español)opiner(Français)meinen(Deutsch)

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 "opine"?
"opine" is spelled O-P-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ə(ʊ)ˈpaɪn/.
What does "opine" mean?
As a verb, "opine" means: To express an opinion; to state as an opinion; to suppose, consider (that).
How do you pronounce "opine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "opine" is /ə(ʊ)ˈpaɪn/. 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 "opine"?
Borrowed from Middle French opiner, from Latin opīnor (“to hold as an opinion”), from *opīnus (“thinking, expecting”), only in negative nec-opīnus (“not expecting”) and in-opīnus (“not expected”); akin to optō (“to choose, desire”), and to apīscor... 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 “opine”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-P-I-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ə(ʊ)ˈpaɪn/ (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

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