oops

[ʊps, ups]

/[ʊps, ups]/ intj

The verdict

“oops” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #37,238 in Spanish word frequency and used as an interjection.

#37,238
frequency rank, Spanish
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Uy, ups (interjección que denota un error imprevisto).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

oops vs os
50% similar
oops vs ops
75% similar
oops vs opa
50% similar

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

Key facts for oops
PropertyValue
Headwordoops
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechInterjection
IPA[ʊps, ups]
Letters4
Frequency rank#37,238
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “oops” sits in Spanish 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). oops 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 Spanish entry for oops is 4 letters long, classified as an interjection, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ʊps, ups]. Corpus data places it at rank #37,238 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Uy, ups (interjección que denota un error imprevisto).".

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for oops, with forms such as "oopps", "oopss", and "oosp". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "os", "ops", "opa", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct Spanish form is oops, spelled O-O-P-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Uy, ups (interjección que denota un error imprevisto).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: oopps,oopss,oosp,opos

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of oops - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

oopps1oopss1oosp2opos2
Edit distance from "oops"

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 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "oops"?
"oops" is spelled O-O-P-S. The IPA pronunciation is [ʊps, ups].
What does "oops" mean?
As an interjection, "oops" means: Uy, ups (interjección que denota un error imprevisto).
What words are commonly confused with "oops"?
"oops" is commonly confused with "os", "ops", "opa". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "oops"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "oops" is [ʊps, ups]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "oops" come from?
"oops" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “oops”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is O-O-P-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ʊps, ups] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “os” - see the side-by-side comparison. oops vs os
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish 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