coronavirus

/kəˈɹəʊnəˌvaɪɹəs/

//kəˈɹəʊnəˌvaɪɹəs// noun

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

"coronavirus" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“coronavirus” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,760. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,760
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A member of the family Coronaviridae, comprising viruses which infect animals and human beings, and the genome of which consists of a single strand of RNA.

Key facts for coronavirus
PropertyValue
Headwordcoronavirus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kəˈɹəʊnəˌvaɪɹəs/
Letters11
Frequency rank#21,760
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “coronavirus” 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). coronavirus 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 16 spelling variants around coronavirus (IPA /kəˈɹəʊnəˌvaɪɹəs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,760 among 43,570 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for coronavirus, with forms such as "ccoronavirus", "coornavirus", and "cornoavirus". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From corona (“crown-like circle of light appearing around the sun”) + virus. Corona is derived from Latin corōna (“garland, wreath; crown”), from Ancient Greek κορώνη (korṓnē, “something curved; curved stern of a ship; end, point, tip”), from Proto-Indo-Eur… The correct English form is coronavirus, spelled C-O-R-O-N-A-V-I-R-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A member of the family Coronaviridae, comprising viruses which infect animals and human beings, and the genome of which consists of a single strand of RNA.
  2. 2
    A member of the family Coronaviridae, comprising viruses which infect animals and human beings, and the genome of which consists of a single strand of RNA.
  3. 3
    An illness caused by a coronavirus.
  4. 4
    An illness caused by a coronavirus.

Etymology

From corona (“crown-like circle of light appearing around the sun”) + virus. Corona is derived from Latin corōna (“garland, wreath; crown”), from Ancient Greek κορώνη (korṓnē, “something curved; curved stern of a ship; end, point, tip”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to bend, turn”). The name refers to the characteristic appearance of its virions by electron microscopy, which have a fringe of surface projections creating an image reminiscent of a solar corona. Compare the former genus name Coronavirus.

Synonyms

crown viruscoronaronaWuhan virusWuhan coronavirusChina virusChinese viruscoronaronaWuhan flukung flu

This word in other languages

coronavirus(Español)coronavirus(Français)Coronavirus(Deutsch)coronavírus(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccoronavirus
  • coornavirus
  • cornoavirus
  • coroanvirus
  • coronaivrus
  • coronavirrus
  • coronavirsu
  • coronaviruss
  • coronaviurs
  • coronavrius
  • coronavvirus
  • coronnavirus
  • coronvairus
  • corronavirus
  • croonavirus
  • ocronavirus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccoronavirus1coornavirus2cornoavirus2coroanvirus2coronaivrus2coronavirrus1coronavirsu2coronaviruss1
Edit distance from "coronavirus"

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 "coronavirus"?
"coronavirus" is spelled C-O-R-O-N-A-V-I-R-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /kəˈɹəʊnəˌvaɪɹəs/.
What does "coronavirus" mean?
As a noun, "coronavirus" means: A member of the family Coronaviridae, comprising viruses which infect animals and human beings, and the genome of which consists of a single strand of RNA.
What are common misspellings of "coronavirus"?
Common misspellings include "ccoronavirus", "coornavirus", "cornoavirus", "coroanvirus", "coronaivrus". The correct spelling is "coronavirus".
How do you pronounce "coronavirus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coronavirus" is /kəˈɹəʊnəˌvaɪɹəs/. 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 "coronavirus"?
From corona (“crown-like circle of light appearing around the sun”) + virus. Corona is derived from Latin corōna (“garland, wreath; crown”), from Ancient Greek κορώνη (korṓnē, “something curved; curved stern of a ship; end, point, tip”), from Prot... 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 “coronavirus”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-R-O-N-A-V-I-R-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kəˈɹəʊnəˌvaɪɹəs/ (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

Same frequency band

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