organ

/ˈɔːɡən/

//ˈɔːɡən// noun

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

"organ" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“organ” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,719 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,719
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The larger part of an organism, composed of tissues that perform similar functions.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

organ vs orgy
60% similar
organ vs Orion
40% similar
organ vs Orton
40% similar

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

Key facts for organ
PropertyValue
Headwordorgan
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɔːɡən/
Letters5
Frequency rank#5,719
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “organ” 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). organ 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 organ is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɔːɡən/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,719 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for organ, with forms such as "ogran", "oragn", and "organn". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "orgy", "Orion", "Orton", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English organe, from Old French organe, from Latin organum, from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “an instrument, implement, tool, also an organ of sense or apprehension, an organ of the body, also a musical instrument, an organ”), from Proto-Ind… The correct English form is organ, spelled O-R-G-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The larger part of an organism, composed of tissues that perform similar functions.
  2. 2
    A body of an organization dedicated to the performing of certain functions.
  3. 3
    A device, apparatus.
  4. 4
    A musical instrument that has multiple pipes which play when a key is pressed (the pipe organ), or an electronic instrument designed to replicate such.
  5. 5
    An official magazine, newsletter, or similar publication of an organization.
  6. 6
    Ellipsis of organ pipe cactus.
  7. 7
    A government organization; agency; authority.
  8. 8
    The penis.
  9. 9
    An Asian form of mitrailleuse.

Etymology

From Middle English organe, from Old French organe, from Latin organum, from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “an instrument, implement, tool, also an organ of sense or apprehension, an organ of the body, also a musical instrument, an organ”), from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ-. Doublet of organon, organum, and orgue.

Synonyms

organ

This word in other languages

órgano(Español)organe(Français)Organ(Deutsch)órgão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ogran,oragn,organn,orggan,orgna,orrgan

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ogran2oragn2organn1orggan1orgna2orrgan1
Edit distance from "organ"

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 "organ"?
"organ" is spelled O-R-G-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɔːɡən/.
What does "organ" mean?
As a noun, "organ" means: The larger part of an organism, composed of tissues that perform similar functions.
What words are commonly confused with "organ"?
"organ" is commonly confused with "orgy", "Orion", "Orton". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "organ"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "organ" is /ˈɔːɡən/. 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 "organ"?
From Middle English organe, from Old French organe, from Latin organum, from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “an instrument, implement, tool, also an organ of sense or apprehension, an organ of the body, also a musical instrument, an organ”), from... 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 “organ”

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

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