For teachers and parents of young learners, focusing on words with a specific letter and sound can help build strong vocabulary and language skills. This list of words that start with O is ideal for preschool or elementary students!

Table of Contents
- Nouns that Start with O
- Verbs that Start with O
- Adjectives that Start with O
- Encouraging and Positive Words that Start with O
- Short Words that Start with O
- Foods that Start with O
- Instruments that Start with O
- Occupations and Hobbies that Start with O
- Countries and Places that Start with O
- Languages that Start with O
- Science Words that Start with O
- Animals that Start with O
- Plants that Start with O
- Also See
Nouns that Start with O
- Otter: A playful water mammal.
- Ox: A large domesticated animal used for work.
- Office: A room or place where work is done.
- Oven: A kitchen appliance used for baking or roasting.
- Object: A thing that can be seen or touched.
- Olive: A small fruit often used to make oil.
- Octopus: A sea creature with eight arms.
- Ostrich: A large bird that cannot fly but can run fast.
- Octagon: A shape with eight sides.
Verbs that Start with O
- Offer: To present something for acceptance or rejection.
- Open: To move something to allow access.
- Opt: To make a choice or decision.
- Omit: To leave out or exclude.
- Obey: To follow commands or rules.
- Own: To possess something.
- Occupy: To fill or take up space or time.
- Out: To go outside or reveal something.
- Oppose: To resist or act against.
- Order: To arrange in a specific sequence or request something.
- Offer: To provide or give.
- Observe: To watch or notice something carefully.
Adjectives that Start with O
- Observant: Paying close attention to details.
- Optimistic: Having a positive outlook on life.
- Outgoing: Friendly, social, and enjoys being around others.
- Organized: Neat, systematic, and able to keep things in order.
- Open-minded: Willing to consider new ideas and perspectives.
- Original: Creative, inventive, and unique in thought or style.
- Obedient: Willing to follow rules and instructions.
- Objective: Fair, impartial, and unbiased in thinking.
- Outstanding: Exceptional and impressive in abilities or qualities.
- Observant: Quick to notice things around them.
- Opportunistic: Skilled at taking advantage of situations for personal benefit.
- Orderly: Organized and likes things in a structured manner.
Encouraging and Positive Words that Start with O
- Open: Ready to explore or try new things.
- Optimistic: Having a positive outlook.
- Outstanding: Exceptionally good.
- Original: Unique and creative.
- Organized: Neat and well-planned.
- Observant: Careful and attentive to details.
- Outgoing: Friendly and social.
- Open-hearted: Warm and welcoming.
- Open-minded: Willing to consider new ideas.
- Overjoyed: Extremely happy or delighted.
- Orderly: Organized and neat.
- Oriented: Focused on a goal or direction.
Short Words that Start with O
- Ox: A large domesticated animal.
- On: In a position above something.
- Of: Belonging to or associated with.
- Odd: Strange or unusual.
- Off: Not on or powered down.
- Owl: A bird known for its wisdom and nocturnal habits.
- Out: Not in; outside.
- Orb: A spherical object.
- Oat: A type of cereal grain.
- Opt: To choose or decide.
- Oar: A tool used to row a boat.
- Oil: A thick liquid used for cooking or fuel.
Foods that Start with O
- Oats: A type of cereal grain used in breakfast foods.
- Orange: A juicy, citrus fruit.
- Olives: Small fruits used in cooking and oil.
- Onion: A pungent vegetable often used in cooking.
- Omelet: A dish made from beaten eggs.
- Okra: A green vegetable often used in soups and stews.
- Oatmeal: A porridge made from oats.
- Orzo: A type of pasta shaped like rice.
- Oil: A cooking ingredient, such as olive oil.
- Orange Juice: A drink made from oranges.
- Oolong Tea: A type of partially fermented tea.
- Octopus: A seafood delicacy in some cuisines.
Instruments that Start with O
- Ocarina: A small wind instrument shaped like a sweet potato.
- Oboe: A woodwind instrument with a double reed.
- Organ: A large keyboard instrument often found in churches.
- Octobass: A large, stringed instrument similar to a double bass.
- Oud: A pear-shaped string instrument popular in Middle Eastern music.
- Omnichord: An electronic instrument used to create chords and melodies.
- Orpharion: A Renaissance-era string instrument similar to a lute.
- Orgu: A traditional organ from the Turkish region.
- Ophicleide: A keyed brass instrument used in the 19th century.
- Ocarina Flute: A small wind instrument with finger holes.
- Octave Mandolin: A stringed instrument tuned an octave lower than a mandolin.
- Orchestral Bells: Percussion instruments with metal bars.
Occupations and Hobbies that Start with O
- Officer: A person who holds a position of authority.
- Optician: A professional who makes and fits glasses.
- Organizer: Someone who plans and arranges events.
- Ornithologist: A scientist who studies birds.
- Operator: A person who manages machinery or equipment.
- Observer: Someone who watches or studies something closely.
- Outfitter: A person who supplies equipment for activities like camping.
- Osteopath: A doctor specializing in bone and muscle health.
- Oceanographer: A scientist who studies the ocean.
- Oil Painter: An artist who uses oil-based paints.
- Outdoorsman: A person who enjoys outdoor activities.
- Orator: A person skilled in public speaking.
Countries and Places that Start with O
- Oman: A country in the Middle East.
- Oslo: The capital city of Norway.
- Oxford: A historic city in England.
- Oregon: A state in the United States.
- Oaxaca: A city and state in Mexico.
- Okinawa: An island in Japan.
- Ontario: A province in Canada.
- Odessa: A city in Ukraine.
- Orlando: A city in Florida, USA.
- Olongapo: A city in the Philippines.
- Odesa: An alternate spelling for the Ukrainian city of Odessa.
- Oceania: A region that includes Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific islands.
Languages that Start with O
- Oromo: A language spoken in Ethiopia and Kenya.
- Odia: An official language spoken in Odisha, India.
- Ojibwe: A Native American language spoken in parts of the USA and Canada.
- Oshiwambo: A Bantu language spoken in Namibia and Angola.
- Oromo: A Cushitic language of East Africa.
- Occitan: A Romance language spoken in southern France.
- Oʼodham: A Native American language spoken in Arizona and Mexico.
- Orok: A language spoken by indigenous people in Siberia.
- Orokolo: A language spoken in Papua New Guinea.
- Odia: Also known as Oriya, spoken in eastern India.
Science Words that Start with O
- Orbit: The curved path of an object around another object in space.
- Oxygen: A gas that is essential for most forms of life.
- Organism: Any living thing, such as a plant, animal, or microbe.
- Octagon: A shape with eight sides, often used in geometry.
- Osmosis: The movement of water across a membrane.
- Opal: A gemstone known for its play of colors.
- Organelle: A specialized structure within a cell, like a nucleus or mitochondrion.
- Oxidation: A chemical reaction involving the gain of oxygen.
- Observatory: A place where telescopes are used to study celestial objects.
- Ozone: A gas in Earth’s atmosphere that protects us from UV rays.
- Ore: A type of rock that contains valuable minerals or metals.
- Optics: The branch of science focused on light and vision.
Animals that Start with O
- Otter: A playful, aquatic mammal.
- Ostrich: The largest bird, known for its speed.
- Ocelot: A wild cat with a spotted coat.
- Ox: A large animal used for work or carrying loads.
- Orca: A black-and-white marine mammal, also known as a killer whale.
Plants that Start with O
- Oak: A type of tree known for its strong wood and acorns.
- Olive: A small tree that produces olives, used for food and oil.
- Onion: A bulb vegetable with a strong flavor, used in cooking.
- Oregano: A herb often used in Italian and Mediterranean cooking.
- Okra: A green vegetable used in soups and stews.
- Orchid: A type of flowering plant known for its beauty.
- Orange Tree: A tree that produces oranges.
- Oat: A type of cereal grain used for making oatmeal.
- Oxalis: A flowering plant with clover-like leaves.
- Osage Orange: A tree with wrinkled, green fruit.
- Orach: A leafy vegetable similar to spinach.
- Orachweed: A common weed that grows in various climates.
Adjectives that Start with O

Winter Words that Start with O

Things That Start with O

Christmas Words that Start with O

Gabrielle Kotkov is an AMI-trained 3-6 Montessorian and educational consultant. She has a Master's Degree in Child Studies and is certified in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). She is particularly interested in the intersection between Montessori education and multilingualism, which led her to create the Multilingual Montessori website and podcast. Gabrielle has taught in schools in NYC, Sicily, London, and Austin, and is currently on the teaching faculty of the West Side Montessori School Teacher Education Program, an AMS training center in NYC.