oh

\o\

/\o\/ intj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“oh” is in the everyday core of French, ranked #673 in French word frequency and used as an interjection.

#673
frequency rank, French
2
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Marque l’étonnement ou la surprise.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

oh vs on
50% similar
oh vs ou
50% similar
oh vs or
50% similar

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

Key facts for oh
PropertyValue
Headwordoh
LanguageFrench
Part of speechInterjection
IPA\o\
Letters2
Frequency rank#673
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “oh” sits in French 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). oh 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 French entry for oh is 2 letters long, classified as an interjection, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \o\. Corpus data places it at rank #673 in overall French word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for oh, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "on", "ou", "or", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is oh, spelled O-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Marque l’étonnement ou la surprise.
  2. 2
    Marque la déception.
  3. 3
    Marque la reconnaissance.
  4. 4
    Marque l’admiration.
  5. 5
    Sert à donner au sens plus de force → voir ô.

Synonyms

heinpas possibletiens doncahouahrahrohzut

This word in other languages

oh(English)ah(Español)ach(Deutsch)oh(Português)

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "oh"?
"oh" is spelled O-H. The IPA pronunciation is \o\.
What does "oh" mean?
As an interjection, "oh" means: Marque l’étonnement ou la surprise.
What words are commonly confused with "oh"?
"oh" is commonly confused with "on", "ou", "or". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "oh"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "oh" is \o\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "oh" come from?
"oh" is a French 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 “oh”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is O-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \o\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “on” - see the side-by-side comparison. oh vs on
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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