Nervus

[ˈnɛʁvʊs]

/[ˈnɛʁvʊs]/ noun

The verdict

“Nervus” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #49,117 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#49,117
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - ein Strang aus Nervenzellen, der der Erregungsleitung im tierischen oder menschlichen Körper dient

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Nervus vs Nexus
67% similar
Nervus vs Nerv
67% similar
Nervus vs nervt
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Nervus
PropertyValue
HeadwordNervus
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈnɛʁvʊs]
Letters6
Frequency rank#49,117
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Nervus” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Nervus lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for Nervus is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈnɛʁvʊs]. Corpus data places it at rank #49,117 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "ein Strang aus Nervenzellen, der der Erregungsleitung im tierischen oder menschlichen Körper dient".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for Nervus, with forms such as "enrvus", "nerrvus", and "neruvs". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "Nexus", "Nerv", "nervt", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is Nervus, spelled N-E-R-V-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    ein Strang aus Nervenzellen, der der Erregungsleitung im tierischen oder menschlichen Körper dient

Synonyms

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: enrvus,nerrvus,neruvs,nervsu,nervuss,nervvus,nevrus,nnervus,nrevus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Nervus - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

enrvus2nerrvus1neruvs2nervsu2nervuss1nervvus1nevrus2nnervus1
Edit distance from "Nervus"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Nervus"?
"Nervus" is spelled N-E-R-V-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈnɛʁvʊs].
What does "Nervus" mean?
As a noun, "Nervus" means: ein Strang aus Nervenzellen, der der Erregungsleitung im tierischen oder menschlichen Körper dient
What words are commonly confused with "Nervus"?
"Nervus" is commonly confused with "Nexus", "Nerv", "nervt". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Nervus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Nervus" is [ˈnɛʁvʊs]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Nervus" come from?
"Nervus" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “Nervus”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is N-E-R-V-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈnɛʁvʊs] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Nexus” - see the side-by-side comparison. Nervus vs Nexus
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list