apex

/ˈeɪ.pɛks/

//ˈeɪ.pɛks// noun

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

"apex" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“apex” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,981. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,981
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.

Corpus desk

Index EN-apex · apex · English

apex · rank #10,981 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,981
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH apocalypse

Nearest frequency peer: apocalypse (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “apex”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “apex” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

apex vs ax
50% similar
apex vs are
50% similar
apex vs App
25% similar

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

Key facts for apex
PropertyValue
Headwordapex
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈeɪ.pɛks/
Letters4
Frequency rank#10,981
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “apex” 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). apex lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around apex (IPA /ˈeɪ.pɛks/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,981 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 17 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for apex, with forms such as "aepx", "apexx", and "appex". 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, "ax", "are", "App", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin apex (“point, tip, summit”). The correct English form is apex, spelled A-P-E-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.
  2. 2
    The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.
  3. 3
    The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.
  4. 4
    The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.
  5. 5
    The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.
  6. 6
    The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.
  7. 7
    The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.
  8. 8
    The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.
  9. 9
    The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.
  10. 10
    The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.
  11. 11
    The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.
  12. 12
    The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.
  13. 13
    The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.
  14. 14
    An obstacle for a horse to jump over, consisting of a triangular corner fence.
  15. 15
    The moment of greatest success, expansion, etc.
  16. 16
    The top of the food chain.
  17. 17
    A conical priest cap.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. the apex of the building
  2. Drone cameras show that his car reached the apex first.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin apex (“point, tip, summit”).

Synonyms

acmeapexzenithapogeeapotheosisascendancecapstoneclimaxcoronationcrownculminationEverestextremefastigiumhigh notehigh pointhigh tidehigh-water markmiddayoutblossomparoxysmperihelionpinnaclesummasummit

Antonyms

bathoslowest ebbnadirslough of despondtrough

This word in other languages

ápice(Español)apex(Français)Gipfel(Deutsch)ápice(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aepx
  • apexx
  • appex
  • apxe
  • paex

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aepx2apexx1appex1apxe2paex2
Edit distance from "apex"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "apex"?
"apex" is spelled A-P-E-X. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈeɪ.pɛks/.
What does "apex" mean?
As a noun, "apex" means: The highest or the greatest part of something, especially forming a point.
What words are commonly confused with "apex"?
"apex" is commonly confused with "ax", "are", "App". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "apex"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "apex" is /ˈeɪ.pɛks/. 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 "apex"?
Borrowed from Latin apex (“point, tip, summit”). 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 "apex", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

beck#10,989calf#10,996verb#10,965capt#10,998

Similar misspelling depth

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

accuse5 variantstate5 variantspits5 variantsmayo5 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "apex". Here's where to go from here.

  • "apex" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "ax". View pair
  • 5 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #10,981 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "A" letter cohort. A–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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