campus

/ˈkæmpəs/

//ˈkæmpəs// noun

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

The verdict

“campus” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,928 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,928
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The grounds or property of a school, college, university, business, church, or hospital, often understood to include buildings and other structures.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

campus vs caps
67% similar
campus vs capes
67% similar
campus vs Camus
67% similar

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

Key facts for campus
PropertyValue
Headwordcampus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkæmpəs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,928
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “campus” 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). campus 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 campus is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkæmpəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,928 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for campus, with forms such as "acmpus", "cammpus", and "camppus". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "caps", "capes", "Camus", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin campus (“field”). Doublet of camp and champ. First used in its current sense in reference to Princeton University in the 1770s. The correct English form is campus, spelled C-A-M-P-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The grounds or property of a school, college, university, business, church, or hospital, often understood to include buildings and other structures.
  2. 2
    An institution of higher education and its ambiance.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin campus (“field”). Doublet of camp and champ. First used in its current sense in reference to Princeton University in the 1770s.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acmpus,cammpus,camppus,campsu,campuss,camups,capmus,ccampus,cmapus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of campus - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

acmpus2cammpus1camppus1campsu2campuss1camups2capmus2ccampus1
Edit distance from "campus"

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 "campus"?
"campus" is spelled C-A-M-P-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæmpəs/.
What does "campus" mean?
As a noun, "campus" means: The grounds or property of a school, college, university, business, church, or hospital, often understood to include buildings and other structures.
What words are commonly confused with "campus"?
"campus" is commonly confused with "caps", "capes", "Camus". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "campus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "campus" is /ˈkæmpəs/. 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 "campus"?
Borrowed from Latin campus (“field”). Doublet of camp and champ. First used in its current sense in reference to Princeton University in the 1770s. 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 “campus”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-M-P-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkæmpəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “caps” - see the side-by-side comparison. campus vs caps
  • 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