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 1,431 “O” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#81,669
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The tail of an ox or cow.

Corpus desk

Index EN-oxtail · oxtail · English

oxtail · rank #81,669 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #81,669
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH paca

Nearest frequency peer: paca (+2 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.

Long-tail ranks near “oxtail”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “oxtail” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for oxtail
PropertyValue
Headwordoxtail
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters6
Frequency rank#81,669
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “oxtail” in English

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “paca” (#81,671), “oviduct” (#81,665), “padlocked” (#81,673). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “oxtail” is #81,669. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

oxtail is uncommon English at frequency #81,669 among 1,431 “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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "oxtail", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Paiute#81,675Otsuka#81,659pedant#81,688pharos#81,696

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list