cusp

/kʌsp/

//kʌsp// noun

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

"cusp" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cusp” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,112. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,112
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A sharp point or pointed end.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cusp · cusp · English

cusp · rank #27,112 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,112
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Danville

Nearest frequency peer: Danville (+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 “cusp”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cusp” 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).

cusp vs cut
50% similar
cusp vs cuz
50% similar
cusp vs CVS
0% similar

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

Key facts for cusp
PropertyValue
Headwordcusp
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kʌsp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#27,112
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cusp”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).cusplands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Danville” (#27,113), “CST” (#27,110), “decoding” (#27,114). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cusp” is #27,112. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around cusp (IPA /kʌsp/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #27,112 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for cusp, with forms such as "ccusp", "csup", and "cuspp". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cut", "cuz", "CVS", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin cuspis (“a point, spear, pointed end”); first used in astrology. Doublet of cuspid and cuspis. The correct English form is cusp, spelled C-U-S-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sharp point or pointed end.
  2. 2
    An important moment when a decision is made that will determine future events.
  3. 3
    A point of a curve where the curve is continuous but has no derivative, but such that it has a derivative at every nearby point.
  4. 4
    A point made by the intersection of two curved lines or curved structures, a common motif in Gothic architecture.
  5. 5
    A boundary between zodiacal signs and houses.
  6. 6
    Any of the pointed parts of a canine tooth or molar.
  7. 7
    A flap of a valve of a heart or blood vessel.
  8. 8
    A point of transition.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Newcastle were 11 points adrift of Spurs following their 5-0 mauling at the hands of the north London club in February. But a sixth successive Premier League win puts them on the cusp of European football next season as they surged 15 points clear of seventh-placed Everton, who have five games left to play.
  2. I see freight returning in a big way. The 2016 reconnection of the Helwith Bridge quarries can produce up to three heavy trains a day. The nearby and much bigger Horton quarry is also on the cusp of rail reconnection.

Etymology

From Latin cuspis (“a point, spear, pointed end”); first used in astrology. Doublet of cuspid and cuspis.

Synonyms

ord

This word in other languages

cúspide(Español)point de rebroussement(Français)Spitze(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccusp
  • csup
  • cuspp
  • cussp
  • ucsp

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccusp1csup2cuspp1cussp1ucsp2
Edit distance from "cusp"

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 "cusp"?
"cusp" is spelled C-U-S-P. The IPA pronunciation is /kʌsp/.
What does "cusp" mean?
As a noun, "cusp" means: A sharp point or pointed end.
What words are commonly confused with "cusp"?
"cusp" is commonly confused with "cut", "cuz", "CVS". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cusp"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cusp" is /kʌsp/. 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 "cusp"?
From Latin cuspis (“a point, spear, pointed end”); first used in astrology. Doublet of cuspid and cuspis. 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 "cusp", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

crux#27,109emir#27,134Cato#27,085flax#27,151

Similar misspelling depth

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

Gallo5 variantsAjay5 variantslila5 variantssumo5 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list