ovary

/ˈəʊvəɹi/

//ˈəʊvəɹi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“ovary” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,282. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,282
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A female reproductive organ, often paired, that produces ova in most animals, and in mammals, secretes the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ovary · ovary · English

ovary · rank #31,282 · 7 variants · 11 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,282
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 11 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH oust

Nearest frequency peer: oust (-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 “ovary”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “ovary” 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).

ovary vs over
60% similar
ovary vs overt
60% similar
ovary vs Ozark
40% similar

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

Key facts for ovary
PropertyValue
Headwordovary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈəʊvəɹi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#31,282
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ovary”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).ovarylands 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 “oust” (#31,281), “palma” (#31,284), “origami” (#31,279). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “ovary” is #31,282. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around ovary (IPA /ˈəʊvəɹi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #31,282 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for ovary, with forms such as "oavry", "ovarry", and "ovaryy". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "over", "overt", "Ozark", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From New Latin ovarium, from Medieval Latin ovaria (“bird ovary”), from Latin ovum (“egg”). Doublet of ovarium. The correct English form is ovary, spelled O-V-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A female reproductive organ, often paired, that produces ova in most animals, and in mammals, secretes the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
  2. 2
    The lower part of a pistil or carpel that bears ovules and ripens into fruit.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The male testicles are homologous to the female ovaries.

Etymology

From New Latin ovarium, from Medieval Latin ovaria (“bird ovary”), from Latin ovum (“egg”). Doublet of ovarium.

Synonyms

ovarium

This word in other languages

ovario(Español)ovaire(Français)Eierstock(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • oavry
  • ovarry
  • ovaryy
  • ovayr
  • ovray
  • ovvary
  • voary

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ovary - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

oavry2ovarry1ovaryy1ovayr2ovray2ovvary1voary2
Edit distance from "ovary"

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 "ovary"?
"ovary" is spelled O-V-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈəʊvəɹi/.
What does "ovary" mean?
As a noun, "ovary" means: A female reproductive organ, often paired, that produces ova in most animals, and in mammals, secretes the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
What words are commonly confused with "ovary"?
"ovary" is commonly confused with "over", "overt", "Ozark". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ovary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ovary" is /ˈəʊvəɹi/. 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 "ovary"?
From New Latin ovarium, from Medieval Latin ovaria (“bird ovary”), from Latin ovum (“egg”). Doublet of ovarium. 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 "ovary", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

palma#31,284Nauru#31,265mushy#31,264Mohan#31,261

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

possum7 variantspotted7 variantsrecast7 variantsRonda7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list