opponent

/əˈpəʊ.nənt/

//əˈpəʊ.nənt// noun

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

"opponent" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“opponent” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,147. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,147
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who opposes another; one who works or takes a position against someone or something; one who attempts to stop the progress of someone or something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-opponent · opponent · English

opponent · rank #5,147 · 10 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,147
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH occupation

Nearest frequency peer: occupation (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “opponent”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “opponent” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for opponent
PropertyValue
Headwordopponent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈpəʊ.nənt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#5,147
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “opponent”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).opponentlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “occupation” (#5,146), “paintings” (#5,148), “missions” (#5,145). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “opponent” is #5,147. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around opponent (IPA /əˈpəʊ.nənt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,147 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for opponent, with forms such as "oponent", "opopnent", and "oppnoent". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin oppōnēns (“opposing”), present active participle of oppōnō (“to oppose”). The correct English form is opponent, spelled O-P-P-O-N-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who opposes another; one who works or takes a position against someone or something; one who attempts to stop the progress of someone or something.
  2. 2
    One who opposes another; one who works or takes a position against someone or something; one who attempts to stop the progress of someone or something.
  3. 3
    One who opposes another; one who works or takes a position against someone or something; one who attempts to stop the progress of someone or something.
  4. 4
    One who opposes another; one who works or takes a position against someone or something; one who attempts to stop the progress of someone or something.
  5. 5
    One who opposes another; one who works or takes a position against someone or something; one who attempts to stop the progress of someone or something.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The person who ran against her in the last election proved to be a formidable opponent.
  2. During the crackdown, many opponents of the regime were arrested.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin oppōnēns (“opposing”), present active participle of oppōnō (“to oppose”).

Synonyms

adversaryantagonist

Antonyms

supporterproponentadvocaterespondent

This word in other languages

oponente(Español)opposant(Français)Gegner(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • oponent
  • opopnent
  • oppnoent
  • oppoennt
  • opponennt
  • opponentt
  • opponetn
  • opponnent
  • opponnet
  • poponent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

oponent1opopnent2oppnoent2oppoennt2opponennt1opponentt1opponetn2opponnent1
Edit distance from "opponent"

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 "opponent"?
"opponent" is spelled O-P-P-O-N-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈpəʊ.nənt/.
What does "opponent" mean?
As a noun, "opponent" means: One who opposes another; one who works or takes a position against someone or something; one who attempts to stop the progress of someone or something.
What are common misspellings of "opponent"?
Common misspellings include "oponent", "opopnent", "oppnoent", "oppoennt", "opponennt". The correct spelling is "opponent".
How do you pronounce "opponent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "opponent" is /əˈpəʊ.nənt/. 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 "opponent"?
Borrowed from Latin oppōnēns (“opposing”), present active participle of oppōnō (“to oppose”). 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 "opponent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

missions#5,145mentally#5,144patience#5,150pointing#5,152

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

tourist10 variantstrucks10 variantsvolumes10 variantswireless10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list