<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>
  <periodOfReport>2003-08-11</periodOfReport>
  <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000824225</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>OAK TECHNOLOGY INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>OAKT</issuerTradingSymbol>
  </issuer>
  <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001223721</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>EDMUNDS JOHN</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>1390 KIFER ROAD</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SUNNYVALE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>94086</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
      <isDirector>0</isDirector>
      <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
      <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
      <isOther>0</isOther>
      <officerTitle>Chief Financial Officer</officerTitle>
    </reportingOwnerRelationship>
  </reportingOwner>
  <derivativeTable>
    <derivativeTransaction>
      <securityTitle>
        <value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value>
      </securityTitle>
      <conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <value>13.38</value>
      </conversionOrExercisePrice>
      <transactionDate>
        <value>2003-08-11</value>
      </transactionDate>
      <transactionCoding>
        <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
        <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
        <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
      </transactionCoding>
      <transactionTimeliness>
        <value></value>
      </transactionTimeliness>
      <transactionAmounts>
        <transactionShares>
          <value>10000</value>
        </transactionShares>
        <transactionPricePerShare>
          <value>0</value>
          <footnoteId id="F2"/>
        </transactionPricePerShare>
        <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
          <value>D</value>
        </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
      </transactionAmounts>
      <exerciseDate>
        <footnoteId id="F1"/>
      </exerciseDate>
      <expirationDate>
        <value>2010-05-26</value>
      </expirationDate>
      <underlyingSecurity>
        <underlyingSecurityTitle>
          <value>Common Stock</value>
        </underlyingSecurityTitle>
        <underlyingSecurityShares>
          <value>10000</value>
        </underlyingSecurityShares>
      </underlyingSecurity>
      <postTransactionAmounts>
        <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
          <value>0</value>
        </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
      </postTransactionAmounts>
      <ownershipNature>
        <directOrIndirectOwnership>
          <value>D</value>
        </directOrIndirectOwnership>
      </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeTransaction>
    <derivativeTransaction>
      <securityTitle>
        <value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value>
      </securityTitle>
      <conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <value>7.94</value>
      </conversionOrExercisePrice>
      <transactionDate>
        <value>2003-08-11</value>
      </transactionDate>
      <transactionCoding>
        <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
        <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
        <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
      </transactionCoding>
      <transactionTimeliness>
        <value></value>
      </transactionTimeliness>
      <transactionAmounts>
        <transactionShares>
          <value>40000</value>
        </transactionShares>
        <transactionPricePerShare>
          <value>0</value>
          <footnoteId id="F3"/>
        </transactionPricePerShare>
        <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
          <value>D</value>
        </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
      </transactionAmounts>
      <exerciseDate>
        <footnoteId id="F1"/>
      </exerciseDate>
      <expirationDate>
        <value>2011-01-26</value>
      </expirationDate>
      <underlyingSecurity>
        <underlyingSecurityTitle>
          <value>Common Stock</value>
        </underlyingSecurityTitle>
        <underlyingSecurityShares>
          <value>40000</value>
        </underlyingSecurityShares>
      </underlyingSecurity>
      <postTransactionAmounts>
        <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
          <value>0</value>
        </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
      </postTransactionAmounts>
      <ownershipNature>
        <directOrIndirectOwnership>
          <value>D</value>
        </directOrIndirectOwnership>
      </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeTransaction>
    <derivativeTransaction>
      <securityTitle>
        <value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value>
      </securityTitle>
      <conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <value>4.42</value>
      </conversionOrExercisePrice>
      <transactionDate>
        <value>2003-08-11</value>
      </transactionDate>
      <transactionCoding>
        <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
        <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
        <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
      </transactionCoding>
      <transactionTimeliness>
        <value></value>
      </transactionTimeliness>
      <transactionAmounts>
        <transactionShares>
          <value>50000</value>
        </transactionShares>
        <transactionPricePerShare>
          <value>0</value>
          <footnoteId id="F4"/>
        </transactionPricePerShare>
        <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
          <value>D</value>
        </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
      </transactionAmounts>
      <exerciseDate>
        <footnoteId id="F1"/>
      </exerciseDate>
      <expirationDate>
        <value>2012-06-27</value>
      </expirationDate>
      <underlyingSecurity>
        <underlyingSecurityTitle>
          <value>Common Stock</value>
        </underlyingSecurityTitle>
        <underlyingSecurityShares>
          <value>50000</value>
        </underlyingSecurityShares>
      </underlyingSecurity>
      <postTransactionAmounts>
        <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
          <value>0</value>
        </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
      </postTransactionAmounts>
      <ownershipNature>
        <directOrIndirectOwnership>
          <value>D</value>
        </directOrIndirectOwnership>
      </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeTransaction>
    <derivativeTransaction>
      <securityTitle>
        <value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value>
      </securityTitle>
      <conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <value>2.50</value>
      </conversionOrExercisePrice>
      <transactionDate>
        <value>2003-08-11</value>
      </transactionDate>
      <transactionCoding>
        <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
        <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
        <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
      </transactionCoding>
      <transactionTimeliness>
        <value></value>
      </transactionTimeliness>
      <transactionAmounts>
        <transactionShares>
          <value>70000</value>
        </transactionShares>
        <transactionPricePerShare>
          <value>0</value>
          <footnoteId id="F5"/>
        </transactionPricePerShare>
        <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
          <value>D</value>
        </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
      </transactionAmounts>
      <exerciseDate>
        <footnoteId id="F1"/>
      </exerciseDate>
      <expirationDate>
        <value>2012-12-23</value>
      </expirationDate>
      <underlyingSecurity>
        <underlyingSecurityTitle>
          <value>Common Stock</value>
        </underlyingSecurityTitle>
        <underlyingSecurityShares>
          <value>70000</value>
        </underlyingSecurityShares>
      </underlyingSecurity>
      <postTransactionAmounts>
        <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
          <value>0</value>
        </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
      </postTransactionAmounts>
      <ownershipNature>
        <directOrIndirectOwnership>
          <value>D</value>
        </directOrIndirectOwnership>
      </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeTransaction>
    <derivativeTransaction>
      <securityTitle>
        <value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value>
      </securityTitle>
      <conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <value>13.00</value>
      </conversionOrExercisePrice>
      <transactionDate>
        <value>2003-08-11</value>
      </transactionDate>
      <transactionCoding>
        <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
        <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
        <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
      </transactionCoding>
      <transactionTimeliness>
        <value></value>
      </transactionTimeliness>
      <transactionAmounts>
        <transactionShares>
          <value>200000</value>
        </transactionShares>
        <transactionPricePerShare>
          <value>0</value>
          <footnoteId id="F6"/>
        </transactionPricePerShare>
        <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
          <value>D</value>
        </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
      </transactionAmounts>
      <exerciseDate>
        <footnoteId id="F1"/>
      </exerciseDate>
      <expirationDate>
        <value>2010-01-31</value>
      </expirationDate>
      <underlyingSecurity>
        <underlyingSecurityTitle>
          <value>Common Stock</value>
        </underlyingSecurityTitle>
        <underlyingSecurityShares>
          <value>200000</value>
        </underlyingSecurityShares>
      </underlyingSecurity>
      <postTransactionAmounts>
        <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
          <value>0</value>
        </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
      </postTransactionAmounts>
      <ownershipNature>
        <directOrIndirectOwnership>
          <value>D</value>
        </directOrIndirectOwnership>
      </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeTransaction>
  </derivativeTable>
  <footnotes>
    <footnote id="F1">These options vest 24% on the first anniversary of the grant date and the balance vests in a series of successive equal monthly installments of 2% of the remaining option shares measured from the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date.  </footnote>
    <footnote id="F2">This option was assumed by Zoran Corporation in the merger and replaced with an option to purchase 2,898 shares of Zoran common stock for $23.20 per share, pursuant to the Merger Agreement</footnote>
    <footnote id="F3">This option was assumed by Zoran in the merger and replaced with an option to purchase 13,332 shares of Zoran common stock for $23.81 per share, pursuant to the Merger Agreement.</footnote>
    <footnote id="F4">This option was assumed by Zoran in the merger and replaced with an option to purchase 16,665 shares of Zoran common stock for $13.26 per share, pursuant to the Merger Agreement.</footnote>
    <footnote id="F5">This option was assumed by Zoran in the merger and replaced with an option to purchase 23,331 shares of Zoran common stock for $7.50 per share, pursuant to the Merger Agreement.</footnote>
    <footnote id="F6">This option was assumed by Zoran in the merger and replaced with an option to purchase 57,965 shares of Zoran common stock for $23.20 per share, pursuant to the Merger Agreement.</footnote>
  </footnotes>
  <ownerSignature>
    <signatureName>David J. Power, by power of attorney</signatureName>
    <signatureDate>2003-08-11</signatureDate>
  </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>

