ostrich

/ˈɒs.tɹɪt͡ʃ/

//ˈɒs.tɹɪt͡ʃ// noun

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

"ostrich" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ostrich” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,236 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#27,236
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A large flightless bird of the order Struthioniformes.

Key facts for ostrich
PropertyValue
Headwordostrich
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɒs.tɹɪt͡ʃ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#27,236
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ostrich” 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). ostrich 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 ostrich is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɒs.tɹɪt͡ʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,236 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for ostrich, with forms such as "osrtich", "osstrich", and "ostirch". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ostrich, ostriche, ostryche, ostrige, borrowed from Anglo-Norman ostrige and Old French ostruce, from Vulgar Latin *austruthio, from Latin avis (“bird”) + strūthiō (“ostrich”), from Ancient Greek στρουθίων (strouthíōn), or shortened from… The correct English form is ostrich, spelled O-S-T-R-I-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large flightless bird of the order Struthioniformes.
  2. 2
    A large flightless bird of the order Struthioniformes.
  3. 3
    The rhea.
  4. 4
    One who buries their head in the sand instead of acknowledging problems.
  5. 5
    The hypothetical completion of a hole five strokes under par (a quintuple birdie, quadruple eagle, triple albatross, or double condor).

Etymology

From Middle English ostrich, ostriche, ostryche, ostrige, borrowed from Anglo-Norman ostrige and Old French ostruce, from Vulgar Latin *austruthio, from Latin avis (“bird”) + strūthiō (“ostrich”), from Ancient Greek στρουθίων (strouthíōn), or shortened from strūthiocamēlus, from Ancient Greek στρουθοκᾰ́μηλος (strouthokắmēlos), from στρουθός (strouthós, “sparrow”) + κάμηλος (kámēlos, “camel”). Compare Spanish avestruz and Portuguese avestruz.

This word in other languages

avestruz(Español)autruche(Français)Strauß(Deutsch)avestruz(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: osrtich,osstrich,ostirch,ostrcih,ostricch,ostrichh,ostrihc,ostrrich,osttrich,otsrich,sotrich

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

osrtich2osstrich1ostirch2ostrcih2ostricch1ostrichh1ostrihc2ostrrich1
Edit distance from "ostrich"

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 "ostrich"?
"ostrich" is spelled O-S-T-R-I-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒs.tɹɪt͡ʃ/.
What does "ostrich" mean?
As a noun, "ostrich" means: A large flightless bird of the order Struthioniformes.
What are common misspellings of "ostrich"?
Common misspellings include "osrtich", "osstrich", "ostirch", "ostrcih", "ostricch". The correct spelling is "ostrich".
How do you pronounce "ostrich"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ostrich" is /ˈɒs.tɹɪt͡ʃ/. 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 "ostrich"?
From Middle English ostrich, ostriche, ostryche, ostrige, borrowed from Anglo-Norman ostrige and Old French ostruce, from Vulgar Latin *austruthio, from Latin avis (“bird”) + strūthiō (“ostrich”), from Ancient Greek στρουθίων (strouthíōn), or shor... 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 “ostrich”

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

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