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” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,236. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,236
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A large flightless bird of the order Struthioniformes.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ostrich · ostrich · English

ostrich · rank #27,236 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,236
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH overcast

Nearest frequency peer: overcast (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “ostrich”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “ostrich” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
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)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ostrich”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).ostrichlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “overcast” (#27,237), “observant” (#27,234), “overcrowding” (#27,238). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “ostrich” is #27,236. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around ostrich (IPA /ˈɒs.tɹɪt͡ʃ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #27,236 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how ostrich appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Could a Taff'ta ſcarf, a long Eſtridge vvhing, / A ſtiffe Iron Doublet, and a Brazeel Pole / Tempt thee from Cambrick ſheets, fine active Thighs, / From Caudles vvhere the precious Amber ſvvims?
  2. The Ostrich hath a compounded name in Greek and Latin—Struthio-Camelus, borrowed from a bird and a beast, as being a feathered and biped animal, yet in some ways like a camel; somewhat in the long neck; somewhat in the foot; and, as some imagine, from a camel-like position in the part of generation.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "ostrich", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

paragon#27,239Navarro#27,230petting#27,244misused#27,219

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Nakamura11 variantspruning11 variantsrenovate11 variantsSchiller11 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list