Apus

/ˈeɪpəs/

//ˈeɪpəs// name

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

The verdict

“Apus” is an uncommon English word, ranked #80,195 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#80,195
frequency rank, English
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A constellation of the southern sky, said to resemble a bird of paradise.

Key facts for Apus
PropertyValue
HeadwordApus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈeɪpəs/
Letters4
Frequency rank#80,195
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Apus” 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). Apus 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 Apus is 4 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈeɪpəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #80,195 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A constellation of the southern sky, said to resemble a bird of paradise.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Apus, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Named by Dutch explorers Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman between 1595 and 1597. From Latin apūs, from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + πούς (poús, “foot”); early specimens of birds of paradise obtained by Europeans had had their feet removed during traditi… The correct English form is Apus, spelled A-P-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A constellation of the southern sky, said to resemble a bird of paradise.

Etymology

Named by Dutch explorers Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman between 1595 and 1597. From Latin apūs, from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + πούς (poús, “foot”); early specimens of birds of paradise obtained by Europeans had had their feet removed during traditional taxidermy, and were consequently believed by Europeans to lack feet—see Paradisaea apoda on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

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); 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 "Apus"?
"Apus" is spelled A-P-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈeɪpəs/.
What does "Apus" mean?
As a proper noun, "Apus" means: A constellation of the southern sky, said to resemble a bird of paradise.
How do you pronounce "Apus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Apus" is /ˈeɪpəs/. 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 "Apus"?
Named by Dutch explorers Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman between 1595 and 1597. From Latin apūs, from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + πούς (poús, “foot”); early specimens of birds of paradise obtained by Europeans had had their feet removed duri... 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 “Apus”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-P-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈeɪpəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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