orf

/ɔːf/

//ɔːf// noun

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

"orf" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“orf” is uncommon English (frequency #70,136 among 15,494 “O” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#70,136
frequency rank, English
15,494
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An exanthemous disease caused by a parapox virus, occurring primarily in sheep and goats but also capable of infecting humans.

Key facts for orf
PropertyValue
Headwordorf
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɔːf/
Letters3
Frequency rank#70,136
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “orf” 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). orf lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

orf is uncommon English at frequency #70,136 among 15,494 “O” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɔːf/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "An exanthemous disease caused by a parapox virus, occurring primarily in sheep and goats but also capable of infecting humans.".

orf doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old Norse hrufa (“scab”), from Proto-Germanic *hreubaz (whence also dandruff). The correct English form is orf, spelled O-R-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    An exanthemous disease caused by a parapox virus, occurring primarily in sheep and goats but also capable of infecting humans.

Etymology

From Old Norse hrufa (“scab”), from Proto-Germanic *hreubaz (whence also dandruff).

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 "orf"?
"orf" is spelled O-R-F. The IPA pronunciation is /ɔːf/.
What does "orf" mean?
As a noun, "orf" means: An exanthemous disease caused by a parapox virus, occurring primarily in sheep and goats but also capable of infecting humans.
How do you pronounce "orf"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "orf" is /ɔːf/. 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 "orf"?
From Old Norse hrufa (“scab”), from Proto-Germanic *hreubaz (whence also dandruff). 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 “orf”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-R-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɔːf/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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