Which to use
“virus” and “viruses” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,537
- “virus” frequency rank
- #10,794
- “viruses” frequency rank
- 14331
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | virus | viruses |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A submicroscopic, non-cellular structure that consists of a core of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat, that requires a living host cell to replicate, and that sometimes causes disease in the host organism (such agents are often classed as nonliving infectious particles and less often as microorganisms). | plural of virus |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set virus and viruses apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. virus (/ˈvaɪ.ɹəs/) and viruses (/ˈvaɪ.ɹə.sɪz/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “virus” sits inside “viruses”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14331, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
virus is recorded at frequency rank #3,537, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈvaɪ.ɹəs/. viruses is at rank #10,794, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈvaɪ.ɹə.sɪz/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 14331, this pair ranks #470,688 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of virus vs viruses
Shared letters: irsuv. Private to "virus": -. Private to "viruses": e.
"virus" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "viruses" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "virus" and "viruses" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "virus" or "viruses"?
Remembering virus vs viruses
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “virus” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable