Ouija

/ˈwiːd͡ʒə/

//ˈwiːd͡ʒə// noun

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

"ouija" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Ouija” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,945. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,945
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A board, having letters of the alphabet and the words yes and no; used with a planchette during a seance to "communicate" with spirits.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ouija · Ouija · English

Ouija · rank #39,945 · 5 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,945
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH oth

Nearest frequency peer: oth (-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 “Ouija”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “Ouija” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Ouija vs outta
40% similar
Ouija vs oui
40% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Ouija
PropertyValue
HeadwordOuija
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwiːd͡ʒə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#39,945
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “Ouija”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).Ouijalands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “oth” (#39,944), “Palmyra” (#39,946), “OSI” (#39,943). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “Ouija” is #39,945. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around Ouija (IPA /ˈwiːd͡ʒə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,945 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for Ouija, with forms such as "oiuja", "ouiaj", and "ouijja". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "outta", "oui", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: The popular belief that the word came from French oui (“yes”) + German ja (“yes”) is a misconception. The name is taken from a word spelled out on the board when it was asked to name itself by Helen Peters, sister-in-law of Kennard Company investor Elijah B… The correct English form is Ouija, spelled O-U-I-J-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A board, having letters of the alphabet and the words yes and no; used with a planchette during a seance to "communicate" with spirits.
  2. 2
    The use of such a board to attempt to communicate with spirits.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Soon after the departure of my brother to the better land, our spirit-band informed us very plainly through "Ouija," that it was our duty to remove to Boston in order that our children might have better educational facilities, and be admitted to the "musical swim" of the "Hub of the Universe."

Etymology

The popular belief that the word came from French oui (“yes”) + German ja (“yes”) is a misconception. The name is taken from a word spelled out on the board when it was asked to name itself by Helen Peters, sister-in-law of Kennard Company investor Elijah Bond. It is noted in personal letters that Ouija was the name of a woman in a painting above her head at the time, who it is speculated may have in fact been Ouida.

This word in other languages

güija(Español)Ouija(Français)Ouija(Deutsch)ouija(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • oiuja
  • ouiaj
  • ouijja
  • oujia
  • uoija

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Ouija - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

oiuja2ouiaj2ouijja1oujia2uoija2
Edit distance from "Ouija"

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 "Ouija"?
"Ouija" is spelled O-U-I-J-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwiːd͡ʒə/.
What does "Ouija" mean?
As a noun, "Ouija" means: A board, having letters of the alphabet and the words yes and no; used with a planchette during a seance to "communicate" with spirits.
What words are commonly confused with "Ouija"?
"Ouija" is commonly confused with "outta", "oui". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Ouija"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Ouija" is /ˈwiːd͡ʒə/. 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 "Ouija"?
The popular belief that the word came from French oui (“yes”) + German ja (“yes”) is a misconception. The name is taken from a word spelled out on the board when it was asked to name itself by Helen Peters, sister-in-law of Kennard Company investo... 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 "Ouija", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

redux#39,992Lexie#39,897lemma#39,896Rhoda#39,997

Similar misspelling depth

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

moya5 variantsmire5 variantsrasa5 variantsmahi5 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list