oppress

/əˈpɹɛs/

//əˈpɹɛs// verb

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

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

The verdict

“oppress” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #33,772 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#33,772
frequency rank, English
7
letters
7
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To keep down by unjust force.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

oppress vs oppressed
78% similar
oppress vs oppressor
78% similar

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

Key facts for oppress
PropertyValue
Headwordoppress
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈpɹɛs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#33,772
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “oppress” 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). oppress lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for oppress is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈpɹɛs/. Corpus data places it at rank #33,772 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for oppress, with forms such as "opperss", "oppres", and "opprress". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "oppressed", "oppressor", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English oppressen, from Old French oppresser, from Medieval Latin oppressare (“to press against, oppress”), frequentative of Latin opprimere, past participle oppressus (“to press against, press together, oppress”), from ob (“against”) + premere,… The correct English form is oppress, spelled O-P-P-R-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    To keep down by unjust force.
  2. 2
    To make sad or gloomy.
  3. 3
    Physically to press down on (someone) with harmful effects; to smother, crush.
  4. 4
    To sexually violate; to rape.

Etymology

From Middle English oppressen, from Old French oppresser, from Medieval Latin oppressare (“to press against, oppress”), frequentative of Latin opprimere, past participle oppressus (“to press against, press together, oppress”), from ob (“against”) + premere, past participle pressus (“to press”); see press.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: opperss,oppres,opprress,opprses,opress,oprpess,popress

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of oppress - 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.

opperss2oppres1opprress1opprses2opress1oprpess2popress2
Edit distance from "oppress"

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 "oppress"?
"oppress" is spelled O-P-P-R-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈpɹɛs/.
What does "oppress" mean?
As a verb, "oppress" means: To keep down by unjust force.
What words are commonly confused with "oppress"?
"oppress" is commonly confused with "oppressed", "oppressor". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "oppress"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "oppress" is /əˈpɹɛs/. 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 "oppress"?
From Middle English oppressen, from Old French oppresser, from Medieval Latin oppressare (“to press against, oppress”), frequentative of Latin opprimere, past participle oppressus (“to press against, press together, oppress”), from ob (“against”) ... 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 “oppress”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-P-P-R-E-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈpɹɛs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “oppressed” - see the side-by-side comparison. oppress vs oppressed
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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