Erasmus
/ɪˈɹæzməs/
"erasmus" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“Erasmus” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #24,740 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.
- #24,740
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (known as Erasmus or Erasmus of Rotterdam), a Dutch humanist and theologian.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | Erasmus |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Proper noun |
| IPA | /ɪˈɹæzməs/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #24,740 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “Erasmus” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for Erasmus is 7 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪˈɹæzməs/. Corpus data places it at rank #24,740 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for Erasmus, with forms such as "earsmus", "eramsus", and "erasmmus". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin Erasmus. The EU student exchange programme is named after Erasmus of Rotterdam, and also a backronym for “European [Community] Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students”. The correct English form is Erasmus, spelled E-R-A-S-M-U-S.
Definition
- 1Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (known as Erasmus or Erasmus of Rotterdam), a Dutch humanist and theologian.
- 2A male given name from Ancient Greek, rare in English.
- 3Ellipsis of Erasmus Programme, a student exchange programme established in 1987.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin Erasmus. The EU student exchange programme is named after Erasmus of Rotterdam, and also a backronym for “European [Community] Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students”.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: earsmus,eramsus,erasmmus,erasmsu,erasmuss,erassmus,erasums,errasmus,ersamus,reasmus
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Erasmus - 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.
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 "Erasmus"?
What does "Erasmus" mean?
What are common misspellings of "Erasmus"?
How do you pronounce "Erasmus"?
What is the origin of the word "Erasmus"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “Erasmus”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is E-R-A-S-M-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɪˈɹæzməs/ (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.