oxtail

noun

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

"oxtail" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“oxtail” is uncommon English (frequency #81,669 among 15,494 “O” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#81,669
frequency rank, English
15,494
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The tail of an ox or cow.

Key facts for oxtail
PropertyValue
Headwordoxtail
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters6
Frequency rank#81,669
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “oxtail” 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). oxtail 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

oxtail is uncommon English at frequency #81,669 among 15,494 “O” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for oxtail, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. 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 Middle English ox tayll, from Old English oxan tæġl (literally “ox's tail”), equivalent to ox + tail. The correct English form is oxtail, spelled O-X-T-A-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    The tail of an ox or cow.
  2. 2
    A cut of meat taken from the tail of a cow or calf; it requires long, slow braising, and is used to prepare oxtail soup.

Etymology

From Middle English ox tayll, from Old English oxan tæġl (literally “ox's tail”), equivalent to ox + tail.

This word in other languages

Ochsenschwanz(Deutsch)

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 "oxtail"?
"oxtail" is spelled O-X-T-A-I-L.
What does "oxtail" mean?
As a noun, "oxtail" means: The tail of an ox or cow.
What is the origin of the word "oxtail"?
From Middle English ox tayll, from Old English oxan tæġl (literally “ox's tail”), equivalent to ox + tail. 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 “oxtail”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-X-T-A-I-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list