ossifrage

/ˈɒsɪfɹɪd͡ʒ/

//ˈɒsɪfɹɪd͡ʒ// noun

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

"ossifrage" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ossifrage” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Gypaetus barbatus, the bearded vulture, the diet of which is almost exclusively bone marrow.

Key facts for ossifrage
PropertyValue
Headwordossifrage
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɒsɪfɹɪd͡ʒ/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ossifrage” sits in English frequency

ossifrage falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

ossifrage is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɒsɪfɹɪd͡ʒ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for ossifrage, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French ossifrage, from Latin ossifraga (“osprey”), ossifragus (“osprey”), from ossifragus (“bone breaking”). The correct English form is ossifrage, spelled O-S-S-I-F-R-A-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Gypaetus barbatus, the bearded vulture, the diet of which is almost exclusively bone marrow.
  2. 2
    The young of the sea eagle or bald eagle.
  3. 3
    The osprey.

Etymology

From Middle French ossifrage, from Latin ossifraga (“osprey”), ossifragus (“osprey”), from ossifragus (“bone breaking”).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ossifrage"?
"ossifrage" is spelled O-S-S-I-F-R-A-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒsɪfɹɪd͡ʒ/.
What does "ossifrage" mean?
As a noun, "ossifrage" means: Gypaetus barbatus, the bearded vulture, the diet of which is almost exclusively bone marrow.
How do you pronounce "ossifrage"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ossifrage" is /ˈɒsɪfɹɪd͡ʒ/. 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 "ossifrage"?
From Middle French ossifrage, from Latin ossifraga (“osprey”), ossifragus (“osprey”), from ossifragus (“bone breaking”). 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 “ossifrage”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-S-S-I-F-R-A-G-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɒsɪfɹɪd͡ʒ/ (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
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