opus

/ˈəʊpəs/

//ˈəʊpəs// noun

"opus" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“opus” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,619. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,619
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A work of music or set of works with a specified rank in an ordering of a composer's complete published works.

Corpus desk

Index EN-opus · opus · English

opus · rank #23,619 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,619
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH ono

Nearest frequency peer: ono (-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 “opus”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “opus” 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).

opus vs OS
0% similar
opus vs ou
50% similar
opus vs out
50% similar

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

Key facts for opus
PropertyValue
Headwordopus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈəʊpəs/
Letters4
Frequency rank#23,619
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “opus”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).opuslands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “ono” (#23,618), “nugget” (#23,617), “OTC” (#23,621). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “opus” is #23,619. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around opus (IPA /ˈəʊpəs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,619 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for opus, with forms such as "oppus", "opsu", and "opuss". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "OS", "ou", "out", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin opus. The correct English form is opus, spelled O-P-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A work of music or set of works with a specified rank in an ordering of a composer's complete published works.
  2. 2
    A work, especially of art.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Beethoven's "Razumovsky" Quartets, Op. 59, are considered by many to be the beginning of the Romantic era.
  2. The painter's last opus was a dedication to all things living, in a surprising contrast to all of his prior work.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin opus.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • oppus
  • opsu
  • opuss
  • oups
  • pous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

oppus1opsu2opuss1oups2pous2
Edit distance from "opus"

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 "opus"?
"opus" is spelled O-P-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈəʊpəs/.
What does "opus" mean?
As a noun, "opus" means: A work of music or set of works with a specified rank in an ordering of a composer's complete published works.
What words are commonly confused with "opus"?
"opus" is commonly confused with "OS", "ou", "out". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "opus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "opus" is /ˈəʊpəs/. 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 "opus"?
Borrowed from Latin opus. 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 "opus", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list