Angus

/ˈæŋ.ɡəs/

//ˈæŋ.ɡəs// name

"angus" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Angus” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,362 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#12,362
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A male given name from Scottish Gaelic of mostly Scottish usage.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Angus vs ans
40% similar
Angus vs ants
40% similar
Angus vs anus
60% similar

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

Key facts for Angus
PropertyValue
HeadwordAngus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈæŋ.ɡəs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#12,362
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Angus” sits in English 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). Angus 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 English entry for Angus is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈæŋ.ɡəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,362 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Angus, with forms such as "agnus", "anggus", and "angsu". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ans", "ants", "anus", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Aonghas, perhaps literally "one choice". The correct English form is Angus, spelled A-N-G-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A male given name from Scottish Gaelic of mostly Scottish usage.
  2. 2
    A surname.
  3. 3
    A former county of Scotland, which became a local government district in 1975 in Tayside Region (abolished 1996).
  4. 4
    A council area of Scotland, one of 32 created in 1996.
  5. 5
    A suburb of Sydney in the Blacktown council area, New South Wales, Australia.
  6. 6
    A black, hornless breed of beef cattle, originally from Scotland.
  7. 7
    A nickname for the 0-8-8-0 train configuration.

Etymology

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Aonghas, perhaps literally "one choice".

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: agnus,anggus,angsu,anguss,anngus,anugs,nagus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Angus - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

agnus2anggus1angsu2anguss1anngus1anugs2nagus2
Edit distance from "Angus"

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Angus"?
"Angus" is spelled A-N-G-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæŋ.ɡəs/.
What does "Angus" mean?
As a proper noun, "Angus" means: A male given name from Scottish Gaelic of mostly Scottish usage.
What words are commonly confused with "Angus"?
"Angus" is commonly confused with "ans", "ants", "anus". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Angus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Angus" is /ˈæŋ.ɡəs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "Angus"?
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Aonghas, perhaps literally "one choice". 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 “Angus”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-N-G-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈæŋ.ɡəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “ans” - see the side-by-side comparison. Angus vs ans
  • 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