anal sex

noun

"anal-sex" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A sexual activity involving stimulation of a sexual partner's anus or rectum, especially by penetration with a penis or other object.

Key facts for anal sex
PropertyValue
Headwordanal sex
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “anal sex” sits in English frequency

anal sex falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English 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 English entry for anal sex is 8 letters long, classified as a noun. 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: "A sexual activity involving stimulation of a sexual partner's anus or rectum, especially by penetration with a penis or other object.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for anal sex, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From anal + sex. First use appears c. 1970 in the American Sociological Review. The correct English form is anal sex, spelled A-N-A-L- -S-E-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sexual activity involving stimulation of a sexual partner's anus or rectum, especially by penetration with a penis or other object.

Etymology

From anal + sex. First use appears c. 1970 in the American Sociological Review.

Synonyms

anal sexassfuckbumfuckbummingbum sexbuttfuckbutt-fuckingbutt sexbutt stufffifth basefudge packingGreekGreek artsHershey highwaypaedicatioreamingrectal sexsodomytaking it up the ass

This word in other languages

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 "anal sex"?
"anal sex" is spelled A-N-A-L- -S-E-X.
What does "anal sex" mean?
As a noun, "anal sex" means: A sexual activity involving stimulation of a sexual partner's anus or rectum, especially by penetration with a penis or other object.
What is the origin of the word "anal sex"?
From anal + sex. First use appears c. 1970 in the American Sociological Review. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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 “anal sex”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-N-A-L- -S-E-X - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English 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