callus

/ˈkæləs/

//ˈkæləs// noun

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

"callus" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“callus” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #47,517. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#47,517
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A hardened area of the skin (especially on the foot or hand) caused by repeated friction, wear or use.

Corpus desk

Index EN-callus · callus · English

callus · rank #47,517 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #47,517
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH calcareous

Nearest frequency peer: calcareous (-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 “callus”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “callus” 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).

callus vs cells
67% similar
callus vs Claus
50% similar
callus vs Calum
50% similar

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

Key facts for callus
PropertyValue
Headwordcallus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkæləs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#47,517
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “callus”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).calluslands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “calcareous” (#47,516), “Cally” (#47,518), “cair” (#47,515). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “callus” is #47,517. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around callus (IPA /ˈkæləs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #47,517 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for callus, with forms such as "acllus", "callsu", and "calluss". 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, "cells", "Claus", "Calum", 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 callum (“hard skin”). Displaced Old English wearr. The correct English form is callus, spelled C-A-L-L-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A hardened area of the skin (especially on the foot or hand) caused by repeated friction, wear or use.
  2. 2
    The material of repair in fractures of bone; a substance exuded at the site of fracture, which is at first soft or cartilaginous in consistency, but is ultimately converted into true bone and unites the fragments into a single piece.
  3. 3
    The new formation over the end of a cutting, before it puts out rootlets.
  4. 4
    In orchids, a fleshy outgrowth from the labellum.
  5. 5
    In grasses, a hardened extension from the base of a floret, which may or may not elongate and is often covered in hairs or bristles.
  6. 6
    A shining area on the frons of many species of Tabanomorpha (horse flies and relatives).

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Sylvanshine had once been on a first date with a Xerox rep who had complex and slightly repulsive patterns of callus on her fingers from playing the banjo semi-professionally

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin callum (“hard skin”). Displaced Old English wearr.

This word in other languages

callo(Español)cal(Français)Schwiele(Deutsch)calo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acllus
  • callsu
  • calluss
  • caluls
  • ccallus
  • clalus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acllus2callsu2calluss1caluls2ccallus1clalus2
Edit distance from "callus"

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 "callus"?
"callus" is spelled C-A-L-L-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæləs/.
What does "callus" mean?
As a noun, "callus" means: A hardened area of the skin (especially on the foot or hand) caused by repeated friction, wear or use.
What words are commonly confused with "callus"?
"callus" is commonly confused with "cells", "Claus", "Calum". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "callus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "callus" is /ˈkæləs/. 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 "callus"?
Borrowed from Latin callum (“hard skin”). Displaced Old English wearr. 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 "callus", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

capote#47,520cherub#47,531coaxed#47,536Biafra#47,492

Similar misspelling depth

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

Cassell6 variantsbests6 variantsbanc6 variantscours6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list