ozone

/ˈəʊzəʊn/

//ˈəʊzəʊn// noun

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

The verdict

“ozone” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,764 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,764
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An allotrope of oxygen (symbol O₃) having three atoms in the molecule instead of the usual two; it is a toxic gas, generated from oxygen by electrical discharge.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

ozone vs Ozzie
40% similar
ozone vs one
60% similar
ozone vs ooze
60% similar

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

Key facts for ozone
PropertyValue
Headwordozone
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈəʊzəʊn/
Letters5
Frequency rank#16,764
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ozone” 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). ozone lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for ozone is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈəʊzəʊn/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,764 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for ozone, with forms such as "oozne", "oznoe", and "ozoen". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "Ozzie", "one", "ooze", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From German Ozon, coined 1840 by Christian Friedrich Schönbein, from Ancient Greek ὄζον (ózon), neuter participle of ὄζω (ózō, “I smell”), in reference to its pungent odour. The “fresh air” sense is from an erroneous former belief that seaweed contains and … The correct English form is ozone, spelled O-Z-O-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An allotrope of oxygen (symbol O₃) having three atoms in the molecule instead of the usual two; it is a toxic gas, generated from oxygen by electrical discharge.
  2. 2
    Fresh air, especially that breathed at the seaside and smelling of seaweed.

Etymology

From German Ozon, coined 1840 by Christian Friedrich Schönbein, from Ancient Greek ὄζον (ózon), neuter participle of ὄζω (ózō, “I smell”), in reference to its pungent odour. The “fresh air” sense is from an erroneous former belief that seaweed contains and releases ozone.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: oozne,oznoe,ozoen,ozonne,ozzone,zoone

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ozone - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

oozne2oznoe2ozoen2ozonne1ozzone1zoone2
Edit distance from "ozone"

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 "ozone"?
"ozone" is spelled O-Z-O-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈəʊzəʊn/.
What does "ozone" mean?
As a noun, "ozone" means: An allotrope of oxygen (symbol O₃) having three atoms in the molecule instead of the usual two; it is a toxic gas, generated from oxygen by electrical discharge.
What words are commonly confused with "ozone"?
"ozone" is commonly confused with "Ozzie", "one", "ooze". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ozone"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ozone" is /ˈəʊzəʊn/. 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 "ozone"?
From German Ozon, coined 1840 by Christian Friedrich Schönbein, from Ancient Greek ὄζον (ózon), neuter participle of ὄζω (ózō, “I smell”), in reference to its pungent odour. The “fresh air” sense is from an erroneous former belief that seaweed con... 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 “ozone”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-Z-O-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈəʊzəʊn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Ozzie” - see the side-by-side comparison. ozone vs Ozzie
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list