Words That Start With O | Ultimate List & Word Game Tips
Words that start with O cover a wide range of English vocabulary, from ordinary terms like “office” and “oven” to obscure vocabulary, like “obelisk” and “odyssey.” Learning about the variety of O words gives you lots of options when it comes to word games, writing, and daily conversations.
This guide organizes the most useful words that start with O by letter count and parts of speech. You’ll also find ideas for Wordle, Scrabble, and Words With Friends (WWF), along with a glossary of fun and rare words to expand your vocabulary.
Looking for custom lists of words that start with O? QuillBot’s AI Chat can generate lists for any letter count or theme.
Key takeaways
- Words that start with O include everything from common everyday terms to advanced and rare vocabulary, as well as 5-letter words for Wordle.
- The best options for Scrabble and Words With Friends are “oblique” and “object.”
- Studying nouns, adjectives, and verbs that start with O can help you improve your writing and communication.
- Some of the most fun and rare words starting with O are “obelisk” and “oxymoron.”
Table of contents
Words that start with O by letter count
The chart below includes words that start with O from 2–7 letters long to help you find what you need for a crossword, Scrabble game, Wordle, and more.
| Letter count | Words |
|---|---|
| 2-letter words that start with O | Of, oh, om, on, ox |
| 3-letter words that start with O | Oaf, oak, oar, oat, odd, ode, off, oft, oil, old, one, opt, orb, ore, our, out, owe, owl, own |
| 4-letter words that start with O | Oath, obey, oboe, odor, ogle, ogre, oily, okay, okra, oleo, omen, omit, once, only, onto, onus, onyx, ooze, oozy, opal, open, opry, opus, oral, orca, oryx, orzo, otto, ouch, ours, oust, oval, oven, over, oxen |
| 5-letter words that start with O | Oaken, oasis, obese, occur, ocean, octal, octet, odder, oddly, offal, offer, often, olden, older, olive, ollie, ombre, omega, onion, onset, oomph, opera, opine, opium, optic, orbit, order, organ, other, otter, ought, ounce, outdo, outer, ovary, ovate, overt, ovine, owner, owlet, oxide, ozone |
| 6-letter words that start with O | Object, oblige, obsess, obtain, obtuse, occult, occupy, ocelot, octane, octave, octopi, ocular, oculus, oddest, oddity, odious, offend, office, offset, oilcan, omelet, omnify, onesie, onward, opaque, opener, openly, oppose, option, oracle, orange, orator, orchid, ordain, ordeal, orgone, orient, origin, oriole, ornate, ornery, orphan, osprey, outage, outbox, outcry, outdid, outfit, outlaw, outlet, output, outrun, outset, outwit, overdo, overly, owlery, oxygen, oyster |
| 7-letter words that start with O | Oarfish, obelisk, obesity, oblique, obscene, obscure, observe, obvious, ocarina, oceanic, octopus, oddball, odorize, odorous, odyssey, offbeat, offense, offhand, officer, offline, oneself, operant, operate, opinion, oppress, optical, optimal, oration, oratory, orbital, orchard, orderly, ordinal, oregano, organic, orifice, origami, ottoman, outback, outcome, outcrop, outdoor, outgrew, outgrow, outlast, outlier, outline, outlook, outpace, outpost, outpour, outrage, outrank, outtake, outvote, outward, ovation, overage, overall, overdue, overlap, overlay, overrun, oversee, overtly, overuse, oxidant, oxidize |
Best words starting with O for Wordle
Some of the 5-letter words that start with O can be great Wordle starters, especially when they have other vowels, common consonants (L, N, R, S, T), and common letter combinations. These features help you eliminate possibilities early in the game. The chart below outlines some good options.
| Word | Vowels | Common consonants | Common letter combinations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outer | O, U, E | T, R | OU, ER |
| Oaken | O, A, E | N | EN |
| Ocean | O, E, A | N | EA |
| Ounce | O, U, E | N | OU |
| Opera | O, E, A | R | ER |
Best words starting with O for Scrabble and WWF
When you’re playing Scrabble or WWF, you need a variety of O words in your toolkit because there are eight letter O tiles in both games. Since the letter O is only worth 1 point by itself, opt for words that also have high-value tiles, like X, Z, J, and K. The chart below shows the highest-scoring O words with their point values.
| Word | Scrabble points | WWF points |
|---|---|---|
| Oblique | 18 | 21 |
| Object | 17 | 21 |
| Oxygen | 17 | 18 |
| Overjoy | 16 | 22 |
| Oozy | 16 | 15 |
| Outback | 15 | 18 |
| Omnify | 14 | 15 |
| Ozone | 14 | 15 |
| Oomph | 12 | 13 |
| Onyx | 14 | 14 |
| Oxide | 13 | 13 |
Nouns that start with O
The nouns that start with O cover a variety of people, places, things, and ideas. Scan the alphabetical list below to find everything from “oak” to “ozone.”
- OA–OC: Oak, oar, oasis, oath, oatmeal, obelisk, obituary, object, objection, objective, obligation, oblique, oblivion, oboe, observation, obstacle, occasion, occupation, ocean, ocelot, octagon, octane, octave, octet, octopus
- OD–OO: Oddity, ode, odor, odyssey, office, officer, offseason, offspring, ogre, oil, ointment, okra, oleo, oligarch, olive, ollie, omelet, omen, omission, omnivore, onesie, onion, onomatopoeia, onset, onslaught, onyx, oomph
- OP–OR: Opal, opera, operator, opinion, opossum, opponent, opportunity, opposition, optimist, option, optometrist, oracle, orange, orangutan, orb, orbit, orca, orchard, orchestra, orchid, ordeal, ordinance, ore, organism, organization, organ, origin, oriole, organza, origami, ornament, orthodontist, oryx, orzo
- OS–OU: Osprey, ostrich, otter, ottoman, ounce, ourselves, outage, outbreak, outburst, outcast, outcome, outfit, outing, outlaw, outlet, outline, outlook, output, outrage, outreach, outsider, outskirts
- OV–OZ: Oven, overalls, overlay, overlord, oversight, overtime, overview, owl, ownership, owner, ox, oxygen, oxymoron, oyster, ozone
Adjectives that start with O
Among the words that start with O are many adjectives for describing nouns. Use these adjectives that start with O to make your writing or conversations more descriptive.
- OA–OC: Oak, obedient, oblivious, oblong, obnoxious, obscure, observant, obsolete, obvious, occasional, occult
- OD–ON: Odd, odious, official, old, older, oldest, olfactory, ombre, ominous, omniscient, oncoming, one, online, only
- OP–OS: Opaque, open, opportunistic, opposite, oppressive, optical, optimal, optional, opulent, oral, orange, ordinary, organic, original, ornate, ornery, orthodox, ostentatious
- OU–OV: Outdated, outdoor, outer, outrageous, outspoken, outstanding, oval, overarching, overbearing, overbrimming, overcast, overcrowded, overdue, overgrown, overjoyed, overpriced, oversized, overt
Verbs that start with O
Many of the verbs in this list combine “out” or “over” with an action verb, like “grow” or “react.” Other verbs that start with O include “omit” and “own.”
- OB–OO: Obey, object, obliterate, observe, obstruct, obtain, occupy, occur, offend, offer, officiate, offset, omit, onboard, ooze
- OP–OU: Operate, oppose, opt, orchestrate, order, organize, orient, originate, orphan, ostracize, ought, oust, outdo, outgrow, outline, outnumber, outperform, outsmart, outsource, outweigh,
- OV–OW: overburden, overcharge, overcome, overcompensate, overflow, overhaul, overhear, overlap, overload, overlook, overpower, overreact, override, overrule, oversee, overshadow, overshare, oversleep, overthrow, overturn, overwhelm, owe, own
Fun and rare words that start with O
Some of the most interesting words that start with O are listed in the chart below along with definitions and example sentences.
| Word | Part of speech | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obelisk | Noun | A four-sided pillar that tapers into a pyramid shape at the top | Some of the most famous obelisks in the world are the Washington Monument and Cleopatra’s Needles. |
| Obligatory | Adjective | Mandatory (because of a rule or custom) | The barbecue brisket platter came with an obligatory pile of pickles. |
| Observatory | Noun | Building for observing stars and astronomy or other natural phenomena | The telescopes at the observatory were so powerful that we could see Uranus. |
| Ocelot | Noun | Spotted wildcat found in Texas, Central America, and South America | Ocelots usually sleep in trees during the day and hunt for rodents at night. |
| Oculus | Noun | Circular opening or window on a wall or in the center of a dome | Sunlight poured through the oculus at the top of the temple’s dome. |
| Oddity | Noun | Unusual object or situation | The shop sold taxidermied moths, vintage ouija boards, and other oddities. |
| Odyssey | Noun | Long journey | Hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon was a deeply rewarding odyssey. |
| Olfactory | Adjective | Related to the sense of smell | The aroma of chocolate chip cookies triggered a strong olfactory memory. |
| Ombre | Adjective | Dyed or painted in colors or shades that graduate from light to dark | We used six different shades of teal paint to create an ombre accent wall in the dining room. |
| Omen | Noun | Sign of what will happen in the future (according to a superstition) | Many considered the solar eclipse to be an omen for positive transformation. |
| Omnivore | Noun | Creature that eats both plants and animals | Raccoons are such omnivores that they’ll steal hamburgers off the grill and tomatoes from the garden. |
| Onomatopoeia | Noun | Word that has the same sound as what it describes | One of the most famous examples of onomatopoeia is “Snap! Crackle! Pop!” |
| Oracle | Noun | Person who gives wise advice or divinely inspired information | She considered the magic eight ball an all-knowing oracle and consulted it for every decision. |
| Orwellian | Adjective | Dystopian (like the technologies and situations in 1984) | While many people like the convenience of doorbell cameras, others consider them invasive and Orwellian. |
| Osprey | Noun | Large hawk with long wings, a brown top, and a white head and belly | An osprey swooped down to the water and captured a fish. |
| Ostentatious | Adjective | Overly elaborate or showy | The ostentatious kitchen was filled with more $1000 gadgets than anyone could ever use. |
| Oxidize | Verb | To change color because of exposure to air | The apple slices are brown because they sat out for too long and oxidized. |
| Oxymoron | Noun | Combination of words that contradict each other | A healthy dessert is an oxymoron, unless you consider ice cream “healthy” or yogurt “dessert.” |
Frequently asked questions about words that start with O
- What are some 5-letter words that start with O and end with E?
-
Here are the 5-letter words that start with O and end with E:
- Obese
- Olive
- Ollie
- Ombre
- Opine
- Ounce
- Ovate
- Ovine
- Oxide
- Ozone
Curious about which 5-letter words that start with O have been Wordle solutions? Ask QuillBot’s free AI Chat.
- What are some 5-letter words that start with O and end with ER?
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Here are the 5-letter words that start with O and end with ER:
- Odder
- Offer
- Older
- Order
- Other
- Otter
- Outer
- Owner
QuillBot’s free AI Chat can show you lists of words for any letter count or theme.
- What’s a word that starts with O and ends with O?
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The most common word that starts with O and ends with O is “onto.” Other examples include:
- Oleo: An old-fashioned word for “margarine”
- Oregano: Cooking spice common in Italian dishes
- Orzo: Type of pasta
- Otto: Small fish common in freshwater aquariums
- Outdo: Do better than someone or something else
- Overdo: Do excessively
When you’re curious about other words that start with O, QuillBot’s AI Chat can show you lists and definitions.
- What are some adjectives starting with O to describe a person?
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Some adjectives that start with O to describe a person include:
- Optimistic
- Outstanding
- Outgoing
- Overjoyed
- Open
- Observant
- Open-minded
Looking for other words that start with O? Ask QuillBot’s AI Chat.
- What are some sea animals that start with “O”?
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English has quite a few animals that start with O. Some sea animals that start with “O” include:
- Ocean sunfish
- Ocellaris clownfish (clown anemonefish)
- Octopus
- Olive ridley turtle
- Oarfish
- Opah (moonfish)
- Orca
- Oyster
Use QuillBot’s Grammar Checker to avoid spelling mistakes.
