oppose

/əˈpəʊz/

//əˈpəʊz// verb

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

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

The verdict

“oppose” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,823. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,823
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.; to contend against.

Corpus desk

Index EN-oppose · oppose · English

oppose · rank #7,823 · 6 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,823
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH newton

Nearest frequency peer: newton (-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 “oppose”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “oppose” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

oppose vs opposed
86% similar
oppose vs opposite
75% similar
oppose vs oppo
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for oppose
PropertyValue
Headwordoppose
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈpəʊz/
Letters6
Frequency rank#7,823
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “oppose”

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).opposelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “newton” (#7,822), “optimal” (#7,824), “newer” (#7,821). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “oppose” is #7,823. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around oppose (IPA /əˈpəʊz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #7,823 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for oppose, with forms such as "opopse", "opose", and "oppoes". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "opposed", "opposite", "oppo", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English opposen, from Old French opposer, from Latin ob (“before, against”) + Medieval Latin pono (“to put”), taking the place of Latin opponere (“to oppose”). The correct English form is oppose, spelled O-P-P-O-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.; to contend against.
  2. 2
    To object to.
  3. 3
    To present or set up in opposition; to pose.
  4. 4
    To place in front of, or over against; to set opposite; to exhibit.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. to oppose the king in battle
  2. to oppose a bill in Congress

Etymology

From Middle English opposen, from Old French opposer, from Latin ob (“before, against”) + Medieval Latin pono (“to put”), taking the place of Latin opponere (“to oppose”).

Synonyms

be againstfightcheckbarblockpreventtake oncountercontestresistconfrontfacecombatdefythwartcontradictwithstandstand up tohinderstruggle againstobstructfly in the face oftake issue withbe hostile tocounterattackspeak out againstbe in opposition tobe in defiance ofstrive againstset one's face againsttake a standmake a stand againstdispute

Antonyms

support

This word in other languages

oponer(Español)ablehnen(Deutsch)opor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • opopse
  • opose
  • oppoes
  • opposse
  • oppsoe
  • popose

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opopse2opose1oppoes2opposse1oppsoe2popose2
Edit distance from "oppose"

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 "oppose"?
"oppose" is spelled O-P-P-O-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈpəʊz/.
What does "oppose" mean?
As a verb, "oppose" means: To attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.; to contend against.
What words are commonly confused with "oppose"?
"oppose" is commonly confused with "opposed", "opposite", "oppo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "oppose"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "oppose" is /əˈpəʊz/. 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 "oppose"?
From Middle English opposen, from Old French opposer, from Latin ob (“before, against”) + Medieval Latin pono (“to put”), taking the place of Latin opponere (“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 "oppose", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

newton#7,822motive#7,817postal#7,831masses#7,814

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

pops6 variantsscam6 variantshobby6 variantssided6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list