Which atom carries charge in polyatomic ions?

I have a basic confusion regarding polyatomic ions:


**Is it meaningful to say "which atom" in a polyatomic ion is charged?**


Consider for instance hydroxide OH$^-$:


The oxygen has greater electronegativity than the hydrogen, so it is "more negative" than the hydorgen.


**However, I am not sure:** Is it wrong to say that the hydroxide is composed of a neutral hydrogen together with a negatively charged oxygen?


I guess this won't be an *accurate* statement/description, right?




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In particular, [If I understand correctly](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/9577/why-is-it-oh-and-not-ho), then the formulas OH$^-$ and HO$^-$ describe exactly the same diatomic anion, so in particular on cannot deduce from the formula which is the more negatively charged atom between $H$ and $O$. (For a moment I wasn't sure whether the presence of the minus sign above the $H$ in OH$^-$ means that it's the $H$ that is more negative).


