anode

/ˈæn.əʊd/

//ˈæn.əʊd// noun

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

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

The verdict

“anode” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,377. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,377
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 electrode, of a cell or other electrically polarized device, through which a positive current of electricity flows inwards (and thus, electrons flow outwards). It can have either a positive or a...

Corpus desk

Index EN-anode · anode · English

anode · rank #34,377 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #34,377
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH amigo

Nearest frequency peer: amigo (-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 “anode”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “anode” 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).

anode vs anon
60% similar
anode vs ante
60% similar
anode vs aside
60% similar

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

Key facts for anode
PropertyValue
Headwordanode
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæn.əʊd/
Letters5
Frequency rank#34,377
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “anode”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).anodelands 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 “amigo” (#34,376), “apparition” (#34,378), “allegorical” (#34,375). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “anode” is #34,377. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around anode (IPA /ˈæn.əʊd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,377 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for anode, with forms such as "andoe", "annode", and "anodde". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "anon", "ante", "aside", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek ἀνα- (ana-, “up”) and ὁδός (hodós, “path”), forming the New Greek compound ἄνοδος (ánodos). Coined by English polymath William Whewell in 1834 for Michael Faraday, who introduced it later that year. By surface analysis, an- (“up, forward,… The correct English form is anode, spelled A-N-O-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An electrode, of a cell or other electrically polarized device, through which a positive current of electricity flows inwards (and thus, electrons flow outwards). It can have either a positive or a negative voltage with respect to cathode of the same polarized device (depending on whether the device is a load or a source, respectively).
  2. 2
    (by extension) The electrode at which chemical oxidation of anions takes place, usually resulting in the erosion of metal from the electrode.
  3. 3
    The electrode which collects electrons emitted by the cathode in a vacuum tube or gas-filled tube.
  4. 4
    That electrode of a semiconductor device which is connected to the p-type material of a p-n junction.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀνα- (ana-, “up”) and ὁδός (hodós, “path”), forming the New Greek compound ἄνοδος (ánodos). Coined by English polymath William Whewell in 1834 for Michael Faraday, who introduced it later that year. By surface analysis, an- (“up, forward, away”) + -ode (“way”).

Antonyms

cathode

This word in other languages

ánodo(Español)anode(Français)Anode(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • andoe
  • annode
  • anodde
  • anoed
  • aonde
  • naode

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of anode - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

andoe2annode1anodde1anoed2aonde2naode2
Edit distance from "anode"

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 "anode"?
"anode" is spelled A-N-O-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæn.əʊd/.
What does "anode" mean?
As a noun, "anode" means: An electrode, of a cell or other electrically polarized device, through which a positive current of electricity flows inwards (and thus, electrons flow outwards). It can have either a positive or a...
What words are commonly confused with "anode"?
"anode" is commonly confused with "anon", "ante", "aside". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "anode"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "anode" is /ˈæn.əʊd/. 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 "anode"?
From Ancient Greek ἀνα- (ana-, “up”) and ὁδός (hodós, “path”), forming the New Greek compound ἄνοδος (ánodos). Coined by English polymath William Whewell in 1834 for Michael Faraday, who introduced it later that year. By surface analysis, an- (“up... 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 "anode", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

amigo#34,376argon#34,381Alana#34,372ahold#34,370

Similar misspelling depth

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

Aetna6 variantsatone6 variantsWelt6 variantscacao6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list