cutaneous

/kjuːˈteɪniəs/

//kjuːˈteɪniəs// adj

"cutaneous" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cutaneous” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #34,451 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#34,451
frequency rank, English
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of, relating to, existing on, or affecting the exterior skin, especially the cutis.

Key facts for cutaneous
PropertyValue
Headwordcutaneous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/kjuːˈteɪniəs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#34,451
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cutaneous” 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). cutaneous lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for cutaneous is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kjuːˈteɪniəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #34,451 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Of, relating to, existing on, or affecting the exterior skin, especially the cutis.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for cutaneous, with forms such as "ccutaneous", "ctuaneous", and "cuatneous". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From New Latin cutaneus, from Latin cutis (“skin”). The correct English form is cutaneous, spelled C-U-T-A-N-E-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of, relating to, existing on, or affecting the exterior skin, especially the cutis.

Etymology

From New Latin cutaneus, from Latin cutis (“skin”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccutaneous,ctuaneous,cuatneous,cutaenous,cutaneosu,cutaneouss,cutaneuos,cutanneous,cutanoeus,cutnaeous,cuttaneous,uctaneous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccutaneous1ctuaneous2cuatneous2cutaenous2cutaneosu2cutaneouss1cutaneuos2cutanneous1
Edit distance from "cutaneous"

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 "cutaneous"?
"cutaneous" is spelled C-U-T-A-N-E-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /kjuːˈteɪniəs/.
What does "cutaneous" mean?
As an adjective, "cutaneous" means: Of, relating to, existing on, or affecting the exterior skin, especially the cutis.
What are common misspellings of "cutaneous"?
Common misspellings include "ccutaneous", "ctuaneous", "cuatneous", "cutaenous", "cutaneosu". The correct spelling is "cutaneous".
How do you pronounce "cutaneous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cutaneous" is /kjuːˈteɪniəs/. 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 "cutaneous"?
From New Latin cutaneus, from Latin cutis (“skin”). 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 “cutaneous”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-U-T-A-N-E-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kjuːˈteɪniəs/ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list