Which to use
“off” is an adverb and “oír” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,804
- “off” frequency rank
- #3,866
- “oír” frequency rank
- 10670
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | off | oír |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Fuera, afuera. | Percibir sonidos con el oído. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set off and oír apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: off is /ɒf/ while oír is [oˈiɾ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10670, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
off is recorded at frequency rank #6,804, classified as anadv, pronounced /ɒf/. oír is at rank #3,866, tagged as averb, pronounced [oˈiɾ].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 10670, this pair ranks #297,808 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of off vs oír
Shared letters: o. Private to "off": f. Private to "oír": rí.
"off" · 3 letters · shape VCC · "oír" · 3 letters · shape VVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "off" and "oír" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "off" or "oír"?
Remembering off vs oír
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “off”; for a verb, it's “oír”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “off” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable