O is the sixteenth letter of the Spanish alphabet and the fourth of the five vowels. It is a high-frequency letter in Spanish.
Es es una oferta por tiempo limitado.
It’s a limited-time offer.La habitación está oscura.
The room is dark.
The letter O may appear in initial, middle, or final position in the word:
- Words starting with O: ogro (ogre), ochenta (eighty), ofensa (offense).
- Words with A in them: salón (hall), comprar (to buy), roca (rock).
- Words ending in O: rojo (red), bello (beautiful), mucho (a lot).
Pronunciation tip: The letter O in Spanish is an open vowel (the jaw is mid-open to pronounce it), the lips are rounded and the tongue is back. Unlike its English counterpart, it is never a diphthong but a single sound, always with the same pronunciation regardless of adjacent sounds or position in the word:
Quick tip: Most Spanish words ending in -o are masculine in gender, taking the masculine article el (“the”) or un (meaning “a”): perro (dog), libro (book), invierno (winter), castillo (castle), cuento (tale).
- See also: Spanish alphabet
Spanish nouns that start with O
| ojo eye | obra work (art) | obsequio gift |
| oro gold | objetivo objective | oxígeno oxygen |
| ocho eight | obligación obligation | orgullo pride |
| ola wave | oído inner ear | opinión opinion |
| oliva olive | ómnibus bus | odio hatred |
| octubre October | orilla shore | obispo bishop |
| oeste west | ombligo navel | ostra oyster |
| oración sentence, prayer | oscuridad darkness | olimpíada Olympics |
| olla pot | óxido rust | oficio trade |
| orquesta orchestra | ojota flip-flop | opción option |
Animals starting with O: oveja (sheep), oso (bear), orca (killer whale), orangután (orangutan), oca (goose), oso hormiguero (antbear), ornitorrinco (platypus).
Jobs starting with O: obrero (construction worker), odontólogo (odontologist), oculista (eye doctor), oficial (officer), oficinista (office worker).
Names starting with O: Olga, Ofelia, Olivia, Oscar, Omar, Osvaldo.
¿Cuál es tu opinión?
What’s your opinion?Me pican los ojos.
My eyes are itchy.Los niños están jugando en la orilla del mar.
The children are playing on the seashore.Te compré un obsequio de cumpleaños.
I bought you a birthday present.
- See also: Spanish nouns
Spanish adjectives that start with O
| oscuro dark | obsoleto obsolete | oriental eastern |
| ocupado busy | oculto hidden | ocre ocher |
| octavo eighth | ocasional occasional | oxidado rusty |
| obvio obvious | oficial official | ofensivo offensive |
| opaco opaque | ondulado wavy | omnívoro omnivorous |
| obligatorio obligatory | opcional optional | once eleven |
| occidental western | oportuno timely | ordinario common, vulgar |
| original original | óptimo optimal | originario native |
| otoñal autumnal | opresivo oppressive | orgánico organic |
| ovalado oval | ordenado tidy | optativo optional |
Juana tiene el cabello ondulado.
Juana has wavy hair.Tu bicicleta está muy oxidada.
Your bike is very rusty.Me encanta el paisaje otoñal.
I love the autumn landscape.El canguro es originario de Australia.
The kangaroo is native to Australia.
Adjectives starting with O to describe a person
| obediente obedient | obsesivo obsessive | osado daring |
| obstinado stubborn | ordenado tidy | obsecuente obsequious |
| orgulloso proud | observador observant | omnipotente omnipotent |
| organizado organized | ocurrente witty | ordinario vulgar |
| optimista optimistic | olvidadizo forgetful | obeso obese |
Es una niña muy obediente.
She’s a very obedient girl.Estoy orgullosa de ti.
I’m proud of you.
- See also: Spanish adjectives
Spanish verbs that start with O
| oír to hear | ofender to offend | obsequiar to give, present |
| oler to smell | ocultar to hide | omitir to omit |
| olvidar to forget | organizar to organize | oscilar to oscillate |
| odiar to hate | oscurecer to get dark | otorgar to grant |
| ofrecer to offer | obstruir to block | optar to opt for |
| obedecer to obey | opinar to give your opinion | ocurrir to occur |
| ordenar to order | oponerse to oppose, object | obsesionarse to become obsessed |
| obligar to oblige | oxidar to rust | ocupar to take up |
| obtener to obtain, receive | oprimir to oppress, crush | ostentar to show off |
| observar to observe | orar to pray | ovacionar to give a standing ovation |
En verano, oscurece a las 8 p.m.
In the summer, it gets dark at 8 p.m.¿Oíste ese ruido?
Did you hear that noise?Perdón que olvidé tu cumpleaños.
Sorry I forgot your birthday.La cantante fue ovacionada.
The singer received a standing ovation.
- See also: Spanish verbs
Spanish adverbs that start with O
| obviamente obviously | obsesivamente obsessively | orgullosamente proudly |
| ocasionalmente occasionally | obligatoriamente obligatorily | osadamente daringly |
| originalmente originally | opcionalmente opcional | óptimamente optimally |
| oralmente orally | originariamente originally | opuestamente oppositely |
| oficialmente officially | obstinadamente obstinately | ofensivamente offensively |
| ordenadamente neatly | orientativamente approximately | optativamente optionally |
| objetivamente objectively | ostensiblemente ostensibly | ostentosamente ostentatiously |
| oportunamente at the appropriate time | ociosamente idly | ocultamente stealthily |
| organizadamente in an organized way | ocurrentemente wittily | optimistamente optimistically |
| ordinariamente usually | obedientemente obediently | opresivamente oppressively |
Me dijo orgullosamente que soy un buen empleado.
He proudly told me that I am a good employee.Ocasionalmente, vienen a visitarnos.
Occasionally, they come to visit us.Juan estudia obsesivamente todo el día.
Juan studies obsessively all day.Objetivamente, tienes razón.
Objectively, you're right.
- See also: Spanish adverbs
More everyday Spanish words that start with O
Some more everyday Spanish words that start with O include:
o
or
ojalá
I hope
¡Oh!
Oh!
¡Ojo!
Watch out!
Okey
Ok
otorrinolaringólogo, otorrino
ENT specialist
oso polar
polar bear
ocasión
occasion
Quiero un café o un té.
I want a coffee or a tea.
Ojalá que mañana no llueva.
I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.
¡Oh, qué pena!
Oh, what a shame!
Me duele la garganta; tengo que consultar con un otorrino.
My throat hurts; I need to consult with an ENT specialist.
You may also like:
Practice: Spanish words with O
References
- Wordreference.com, “ojalá,” accessed October 16, 2024, https://www.wordreference.com/
- Oxford Spanish Dictionary, 3rd edition on CD-ROM, Oxford University Press.
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary, accessed October 16, 2024, under “wittily,” https://www.merriam-webster.com/
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