ovine
/ˈəʊvaɪn/
"ovine" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“ovine” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 5
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of, being, pertaining to, or resembling a sheep; also, (not comparable) of an animal: from the genus Ovis.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | ovine |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈəʊvaɪn/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “ovine” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for ovine is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈəʊvaɪn/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No generated misspelling entries exist for ovine in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective is borrowed from Late Latin ovīnus (“ovine”) + English -ine (suffix with the sense ‘of or relating to’ forming adjectives). Ovīnus is derived from Latin ovis (“sheep”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis (“sheep”), possibly from *h₂ew… The correct English form is ovine, spelled O-V-I-N-E.
Definition
- 1Of, being, pertaining to, or resembling a sheep; also, (not comparable) of an animal: from the genus Ovis.
- 2Resembling a sheep in character; acquiescent, easily influenced, passive, or willing to follow a leader blindly.
Etymology
The adjective is borrowed from Late Latin ovīnus (“ovine”) + English -ine (suffix with the sense ‘of or relating to’ forming adjectives). Ovīnus is derived from Latin ovis (“sheep”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis (“sheep”), possibly from *h₂ew- (“to clothe oneself, dress; to be dressed”) in the sense of something that provides woollen clothing) + -īnus (suffix with the sense ‘of or relating to’ forming adjectives). By surface analysis, ove- + -ine. The noun is derived from the adjective.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “ovine”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is O-V-I-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈəʊvaɪn/ (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
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.