oracle

/ˈɔɹəkəl/

//ˈɔɹəkəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“oracle” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,258 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#11,258
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A shrine dedicated to some prophetic deity.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

oracle vs oral
67% similar
oracle vs orange
67% similar
oracle vs orally
67% similar

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

Key facts for oracle
PropertyValue
Headwordoracle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɔɹəkəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#11,258
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “oracle” 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). oracle 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 oracle is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɔɹəkəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,258 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for oracle, with forms such as "oarcle", "oraccle", and "oracel". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "oral", "orange", "orally", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English oracle, from Old French oracle m, from Latin ōrāculum n. The correct English form is oracle, spelled O-R-A-C-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A shrine dedicated to some prophetic deity.
  2. 2
    A person such as a priest through whom the deity is supposed to respond with prophecy or advice.
  3. 3
    A prophetic response, often enigmatic or allegorical, so given.
  4. 4
    Something said that must come true or cannot be countermanded; an inexorable command or declaration.
  5. 5
    A person considered to be a source of wisdom.
  6. 6
    A wise sentence or decision of great authority.
  7. 7
    A fortune-teller.
  8. 8
    One who communicates a divine command; an angel; a prophet.
  9. 9
    The sanctuary, or most holy place in the temple; also, the temple itself.
  10. 10
    A theoretical entity capable of answering some collection of questions.
  11. 11
    A third-party service that provides smart contracts with information from the outside world.

Etymology

From Middle English oracle, from Old French oracle m, from Latin ōrāculum n.

Synonyms

ariolaterChaldeanclairvoyantdivinatordivinerduckererforetellerfortunetelleroracleprecogprecognitivepredictorprognosticatorprophetpythonistscryerseersoothsayersortilegusspaer

This word in other languages

oráculo(Español)oracle(Français)Orakel(Deutsch)oráculo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: oarcle,oraccle,oracel,oraclle,oralce,orcale,orracle,roacle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of oracle - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

oarcle2oraccle1oracel2oraclle1oralce2orcale2orracle1roacle2
Edit distance from "oracle"

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 "oracle"?
"oracle" is spelled O-R-A-C-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɔɹəkəl/.
What does "oracle" mean?
As a noun, "oracle" means: A shrine dedicated to some prophetic deity.
What words are commonly confused with "oracle"?
"oracle" is commonly confused with "oral", "orange", "orally". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "oracle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "oracle" is /ˈɔɹəkəl/. 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 "oracle"?
From Middle English oracle, from Old French oracle m, from Latin ōrāculum n. 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 “oracle”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-R-A-C-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɔɹəkəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “oral” - see the side-by-side comparison. oracle vs oral
  • 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