Orkus

[ˈɔʁkʊs]

/[ˈɔʁkʊs]/ noun

The verdict

“Orkus” is outside the top-ranked German vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Reich der Toten, Unterwelt

Key facts for Orkus
PropertyValue
HeadwordOrkus
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈɔʁkʊs]
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Orkus” sits in German frequency

Orkus falls outside the top-100,000 ranked German words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for Orkus is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈɔʁkʊs]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Reich der Toten, Unterwelt".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for Orkus, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is Orkus, spelled O-R-K-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Reich der Toten, Unterwelt

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Orkus"?
"Orkus" is spelled O-R-K-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɔʁkʊs].
What does "Orkus" mean?
As a noun, "Orkus" means: Reich der Toten, Unterwelt
How do you pronounce "Orkus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Orkus" is [ˈɔʁkʊs]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Orkus" come from?
"Orkus" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “Orkus”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is O-R-K-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈɔʁkʊs] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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