ornithologist

/ˌɔːnɪˈθɒləd͡ʒɪst/

//ˌɔːnɪˈθɒləd͡ʒɪst// noun

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

"ornithologist" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ornithologist” is uncommon English (frequency #70,137 among 15,494 “O” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#70,137
frequency rank, English
15,494
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person who studies or practices ornithology.

Key facts for ornithologist
PropertyValue
Headwordornithologist
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɔːnɪˈθɒləd͡ʒɪst/
Letters13
Frequency rank#70,137
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ornithologist” 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). ornithologist 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

ornithologist is uncommon English at frequency #70,137 among 15,494 “O” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌɔːnɪˈθɒləd͡ʒɪst/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A person who studies or practices ornithology.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for ornithologist, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From ornithology + -ist. The correct English form is ornithologist, spelled O-R-N-I-T-H-O-L-O-G-I-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who studies or practices ornithology.

Etymology

From ornithology + -ist.

This word in other languages

ornitólogo(Español)ornithologue(Français)Ornithologe(Deutsch)

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 "ornithologist"?
"ornithologist" is spelled O-R-N-I-T-H-O-L-O-G-I-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɔːnɪˈθɒləd͡ʒɪst/.
What does "ornithologist" mean?
As a noun, "ornithologist" means: A person who studies or practices ornithology.
How do you pronounce "ornithologist"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ornithologist" is /ˌɔːnɪˈθɒləd͡ʒɪst/. 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 "ornithologist"?
From ornithology + -ist. 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 “ornithologist”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-R-N-I-T-H-O-L-O-G-I-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌɔːnɪˈθɒləd͡ʒɪst/ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list