cursor

/ˈkɜːsə/

//ˈkɜːsə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“cursor” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,726. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,726
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A part of any of several scientific or measuring instruments that moves back and forth to indicate a position.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cursor · cursor · English

cursor · rank #25,726 · 9 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,726
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH CX

Nearest frequency peer: CX (+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 “cursor”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cursor” 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).

cursor vs cursory
86% similar
cursor vs curse
67% similar
cursor vs Corso
50% similar

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

Key facts for cursor
PropertyValue
Headwordcursor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɜːsə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#25,726
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cursor”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “CX” (#25,727), “crucifixion” (#25,724), “crowning” (#25,723). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cursor” is #25,726. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around cursor (IPA /ˈkɜːsə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #25,726 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for cursor, with forms such as "ccursor", "crusor", and "curosr". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "cursory", "curse", "Corso", 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 cursor (“runner”), from currō (“run”) + -or (agentive suffix). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European. The correct English form is cursor, spelled C-U-R-S-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A part of any of several scientific or measuring instruments that moves back and forth to indicate a position.
  2. 2
    A moving icon or other representation, usually called a pointer, of the position of the pointing device.
  3. 3
    An indicator, often a blinking line or bar, indicating where the next insertion or other edit will take place.
  4. 4
    A reference to a row of data in a table, which moves from row to row as data is retrieved by way of it.
  5. 5
    A design pattern in object oriented methodology in which a collection is iterated uniformly.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Besides, the Reader must know, if a Brazen graduated Semi-Circle were hung on the Poles here, with an erected moveable Pin, or Cursor on it, there would be no need of the Holes[…]in each Parallel of the Globe, for the true Composing of it[…]

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cursor (“runner”), from currō (“run”) + -or (agentive suffix). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European.

This word in other languages

puntero(Español)curseur(Français)Cursor(Deutsch)cursor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccursor
  • crusor
  • curosr
  • currsor
  • cursorr
  • cursro
  • curssor
  • cusror
  • ucrsor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cursor - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccursor1crusor2curosr2currsor1cursorr1cursro2curssor1cusror2
Edit distance from "cursor"

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 "cursor"?
"cursor" is spelled C-U-R-S-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɜːsə/.
What does "cursor" mean?
As a noun, "cursor" means: A part of any of several scientific or measuring instruments that moves back and forth to indicate a position.
What words are commonly confused with "cursor"?
"cursor" is commonly confused with "cursory", "curse", "Corso". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cursor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cursor" is /ˈkɜːsə/. 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 "cursor"?
Borrowed from Latin cursor (“runner”), from currō (“run”) + -or (agentive suffix). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European. 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 "cursor", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

deduct#25,729crisps#25,720Dunlop#25,741cloths#25,705

Similar misspelling depth

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

caters9 variantsBrutus9 variantsfresco9 variantsBhutan9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list