anise

/ˈæn.ɪs/

//ˈæn.ɪs// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

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

The verdict

“anise” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #44,060. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#44,060
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An umbelliferous plant (Pimpinella anisum) growing naturally in Egypt, and cultivated in Spain, Malta, etc., for its carminative and aromatic seeds, which are used as a spice. It has a licorice scent.

Corpus desk

Index EN-anise · anise · English

anise · rank #44,060 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #44,060
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH amoral

Nearest frequency peer: amoral (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “anise”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “anise” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

anise vs ans
60% similar
anise vs Anne
40% similar
anise vs axis
60% similar

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

Key facts for anise
PropertyValue
Headwordanise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæn.ɪs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#44,060
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “anise”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “amoral” (#44,059), “Ansar” (#44,061), “Amitabh” (#44,058). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “anise” is #44,060. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around anise (IPA /ˈæn.ɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #44,060 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for anise, with forms such as "ainse", "anies", and "anisse". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ans", "Anne", "axis", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English anys, borrowed from Old French anis, from Latin anīsum, from Ancient Greek ἄνισον (ánison), from Egyptian jnst. The correct English form is anise, spelled A-N-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An umbelliferous plant (Pimpinella anisum) growing naturally in Egypt, and cultivated in Spain, Malta, etc., for its carminative and aromatic seeds, which are used as a spice. It has a licorice scent.
  2. 2
    Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how anise appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. A concoction consisting of saffron, orange blossoms, dried dates, anise, wild carrots, and egg yolk, boiled in clear water into which honey and the blood of two freshly killed doves have been poured, is recommended by Arabs as a sexual inducement.
  2. […] of the butcherbirds which were perched on the electric wires skirting the road must be nesting birds, and that in the absence of trees or brush they must be nesting in some of the weeds along the highway, mostly anise (Foeniculum vulgare).

Etymology

From Middle English anys, borrowed from Old French anis, from Latin anīsum, from Ancient Greek ἄνισον (ánison), from Egyptian jnst.

Synonyms

anix

This word in other languages

anís(Español)anis(Français)Anis(Deutsch)anis(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ainse
  • anies
  • anisse
  • annise
  • ansie
  • naise

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of anise - 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.

ainse2anies2anisse1annise1ansie2naise2
Edit distance from "anise"

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 "anise"?
"anise" is spelled A-N-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæn.ɪs/.
What does "anise" mean?
As a noun, "anise" means: An umbelliferous plant (Pimpinella anisum) growing naturally in Egypt, and cultivated in Spain, Malta, etc., for its carminative and aromatic seeds, which are used as a spice. It has a licorice scent.
What words are commonly confused with "anise"?
"anise" is commonly confused with "ans", "Anne", "axis". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "anise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "anise" is /ˈæn.ɪs/. 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 "anise"?
From Middle English anys, borrowed from Old French anis, from Latin anīsum, from Ancient Greek ἄνισον (ánison), from Egyptian jnst. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "anise", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Ansar#44,061altho#44,055baits#44,074Ailes#44,045

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

agape6 variantsBohr6 variantsboxy6 variantswald6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list