# oxygen

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɒksɪd͡ʒən/ · frequency rank #4,695

## Definitions
1. The chemical element (symbol O) with an atomic number of 8 and relative atomic mass of 15.9994. It is a colorless and odorless gas. Sometimes called elemental oxygen to distinguish it from molecular oxygen.
2. Molecular oxygen (O₂), a colorless, odorless gas at room temperature.
3. A mixture of oxygen and other gases, administered to a patient to help them breathe.
4. An atom of this element.
5. A condition or environment in which something can thrive.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ-der.?
Ancient Greek ὀξύς (oxús)
Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁-
Proto-Indo-European *-os
Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁os
Proto-Hellenic *génos
Ancient Greek γένος (génos)
French oxygènebor.
English oxygen
Borrowed from French oxygène (originally in the form principe oxygène, a variant of principe oxigine ‘acidifying principle’, suggested by Lavoisier), from Ancient Greek ὀξύς (oxús, “sharp”) + γένος (génos, “birth”), referring to oxygen's supposed role in the formation of acids. By surface analysis, oxy- + -gen.

## Easily confused with
- **oxen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oxen-vs-oxygen)
- **Origen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/origen-vs-oxygen)

## Common misspellings (9)
`oxgyen`, `oxxygen`, `oxyegn`, `oxygenn`, `oxyggen`, `oxygne`, `oxyygen`, `oyxgen`, `xoygen`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/oxygen