ouch
/ˈaʊt͡ʃ/interjection, noun, verb
ouch is spelled O-U-C-H: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 3.6 times per million words in written English, the 13,695th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an interjection, ouch means “An expression of one's own physical pain” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in ouch?
| Letters | 4: O-U-C-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.6 times per million words; the 13,695th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is ouch?
Ouch appears 3.6 times per million words in written English, the 13,695th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce ouch?
- /ˈaʊt͡ʃ/
Ouch has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-inlandnorth-ouch.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with ouch?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as ouch.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: chou.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of ouch
- ouches plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- ouching participle, present
- ouched participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does ouch mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
interjection
- 1
An expression of one's own physical pain.
Ouch! You stepped on my toe! That hurt!
- 2
An expression in sympathy at another's pain.
Ouch! Her sunburn looks awful.
- 3
A reply to an insult seen as savage (frequently one that is tongue-in-cheek or joking).
Ouch. How could you say that?
- 4
An expression of disappointment.
Ouch, I really wanted to do that.
- 5
slangExpressing surprise at the high price of something.
Ouch, one hundred thousand dollars for a car! I could never afford that!
noun
- 1
informalSomething that causes discomfort or pain.
- 2
Alternative form of ouche.
verb
- 1
To exclaim "ouch!" in discomfort or pain.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Ouch in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense expression of one’s own physical pain:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does ouch come from?
Uncertain. Some sources say the interjection is attested since 1838 (and specifically in American English) and derives ultimately from German autsch, perhaps specifically via Pennsylvania German outch (“cry of pain”), as early attestations of the interjection are from Pennsylvania. However, others say the interjection is a "mere" or "natural" exclamation attested since the mid 1600s, and the 1933 OED cites one instance of a verb "ouch" in 1654, "Sancho Pancas Runs Ouching round the mountaine like a ranck-Asse".
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).