cortex

/ˈkɔɹtɛks/

//ˈkɔɹtɛks// noun

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

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

The verdict

“cortex” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,126. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,126
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The outer layer of an internal organ or body structure, such as the kidney or the brain.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cortex · cortex · English

cortex · rank #13,126 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #13,126
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH coordinating

Nearest frequency peer: coordinating (-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 “cortex”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cortex” 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).

cortex vs cote
67% similar
cortex vs Cortez
67% similar
cortex vs cotter
67% similar

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

Key facts for cortex
PropertyValue
Headwordcortex
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɔɹtɛks/
Letters6
Frequency rank#13,126
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cortex”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).cortexlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “coordinating” (#13,125), “courageous” (#13,127), “converts” (#13,124). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cortex” is #13,126. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around cortex (IPA /ˈkɔɹtɛks/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #13,126 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for cortex, with forms such as "ccortex", "coretx", and "corrtex". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cote", "Cortez", "cotter", 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 cortex (“cork, bark”). The correct English form is cortex, spelled C-O-R-T-E-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    The outer layer of an internal organ or body structure, such as the kidney or the brain.
  2. 2
    The tissue of a stem or root that lies inward from the epidermis, but exterior to the vascular tissue.
  3. 3
    The outer surface of a piece of flint.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. In the study, led by Ryota Kanai of the University College London, people who identified themselves as liberals generally had a larger anterior cingulate cortex — a comma-shaped region near the front of the brain that is involved in decision-making. By contrast, those who identified as conservatives had larger amygdalas — almond-shaped structures that are…

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cortex (“cork, bark”).

This word in other languages

cortex(Français)Rinde(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccortex
  • coretx
  • corrtex
  • cortexx
  • corttex
  • cortxe
  • cotrex
  • crotex
  • ocrtex

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccortex1coretx2corrtex1cortexx1corttex1cortxe2cotrex2crotex2
Edit distance from "cortex"

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 "cortex"?
"cortex" is spelled C-O-R-T-E-X. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɔɹtɛks/.
What does "cortex" mean?
As a noun, "cortex" means: The outer layer of an internal organ or body structure, such as the kidney or the brain.
What words are commonly confused with "cortex"?
"cortex" is commonly confused with "cote", "Cortez", "cotter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cortex"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cortex" is /ˈkɔɹtɛks/. 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 "cortex"?
Borrowed from Latin cortex (“cork, bark”). 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 "cortex", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

drills#13,137browse#13,109billed#13,103fetish#13,149

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

calorie9 variantsbilling9 variantsbarker9 variantsAugusta9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list