otolaryngology

/ˌəʊtə(ʊ)ˌlæɹɪŋˈɡɒləd͡ʒi/

//ˌəʊtə(ʊ)ˌlæɹɪŋˈɡɒləd͡ʒi// noun

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

"otolaryngology" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“otolaryngology” is uncommon English (frequency #66,908 among 15,494 “O” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,908
frequency rank, English
15,494
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The study of diseases of the ear, nose and throat.

Key facts for otolaryngology
PropertyValue
Headwordotolaryngology
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌəʊtə(ʊ)ˌlæɹɪŋˈɡɒləd͡ʒi/
Letters14
Frequency rank#66,908
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “otolaryngology” 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). otolaryngology 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

otolaryngology is uncommon English at frequency #66,908 among 15,494 “O” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌəʊtə(ʊ)ˌlæɹɪŋˈɡɒləd͡ʒi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The study of diseases of the ear, nose and throat.".

otolaryngology doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From oto- (“ear”) + laryngo- (“throat”) + -logy. The correct English form is otolaryngology, spelled O-T-O-L-A-R-Y-N-G-O-L-O-G-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The study of diseases of the ear, nose and throat.

Etymology

From oto- (“ear”) + laryngo- (“throat”) + -logy.

This word in other languages

oto-rhino-laryngologie(Français)Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde(Deutsch)otorrinolaringologia(Português)

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 "otolaryngology"?
"otolaryngology" is spelled O-T-O-L-A-R-Y-N-G-O-L-O-G-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌəʊtə(ʊ)ˌlæɹɪŋˈɡɒləd͡ʒi/.
What does "otolaryngology" mean?
As a noun, "otolaryngology" means: The study of diseases of the ear, nose and throat.
How do you pronounce "otolaryngology"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "otolaryngology" is /ˌəʊtə(ʊ)ˌlæɹɪŋˈɡɒləd͡ʒi/. 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 "otolaryngology"?
From oto- (“ear”) + laryngo- (“throat”) + -logy. 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 “otolaryngology”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-T-O-L-A-R-Y-N-G-O-L-O-G-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌəʊtə(ʊ)ˌlæɹɪŋˈɡɒləd͡ʒi/ (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