cerumen

/səˈɹuːmɛn/

//səˈɹuːmɛn// noun

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

"cerumen" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cerumen” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Earwax.

Key facts for cerumen
PropertyValue
Headwordcerumen
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/səˈɹuːmɛn/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cerumen” sits in English frequency

cerumen falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cerumen is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /səˈɹuːmɛn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Earwax.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for cerumen, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin caerūmen, from cera + -men. The appearance of the u is unexplained, but may have been influenced by words like albūmen and bitūmen. The correct English form is cerumen, spelled C-E-R-U-M-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Earwax.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin caerūmen, from cera + -men. The appearance of the u is unexplained, but may have been influenced by words like albūmen and bitūmen.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cerumen"?
"cerumen" is spelled C-E-R-U-M-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /səˈɹuːmɛn/.
What does "cerumen" mean?
As a noun, "cerumen" means: Earwax.
How do you pronounce "cerumen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cerumen" is /səˈɹuːmɛn/. 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 "cerumen"?
From Medieval Latin caerūmen, from cera + -men. The appearance of the u is unexplained, but may have been influenced by words like albūmen and bitūmen. 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 “cerumen”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-E-R-U-M-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /səˈɹuːmɛn/ (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