# otaku

> English word · Noun · IPA /əʊˈtɑːkuː/ · frequency rank #43,818

## Definitions
1. One with an obsessive interest in something, particularly (originally derogatory) an obsessive Japanese fan of anime or manga.

## Etymology
From Japanese オタク (otaku, “anime obsessive, geek”) originally used in reference to the 1982 Macross fandom, from the honorific form お宅 (otaku, “you”), from the honorific form 宅 (taku, “home”) ("your home").

## Easily confused with
- **oak** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oak-vs-otaku)
- **Ota** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ota-vs-otaku)
- **oaks** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oaks-vs-otaku)
- **Oahu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oahu-vs-otaku)
- **Osaka** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/osaka-vs-otaku)
- **Otago** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/otago-vs-otaku)

## Common misspellings (6)
`oatku`, `otakku`, `otauk`, `otkau`, `ottaku`, `toaku`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/otaku