Erebus

/ˈɛɹəbəs/

//ˈɛɹəbəs// name

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

The verdict

“Erebus” is uncommon English (frequency #53,522 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,522
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One of the Greek primordial deities who was the personification of darkness and shadow, brother-husband of Nyx and son of Chaos.

Corpus desk

Index EN-erebus · Erebus · English

Erebus · rank #53,522 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,522
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH epidemiologist

Nearest frequency peer: epidemiologist (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “Erebus”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “Erebus” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Erebus
PropertyValue
HeadwordErebus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈɛɹəbəs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#53,522
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “Erebus” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).Erebusfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “epidemiologist” (#53,521), “esper” (#53,524), “encroach” (#53,519). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “Erebus” is #53,522. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Erebus is uncommon English at frequency #53,522 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈɛɹəbəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for Erebus, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin Erebus. Doublet of rajas. [Alt: Mount Erebus] The correct English form is Erebus, spelled E-R-E-B-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    One of the Greek primordial deities who was the personification of darkness and shadow, brother-husband of Nyx and son of Chaos.
  2. 2
    The dark and gloomy cavern between the earth and Hades; the underworld.
  3. 3
    Ellipsis of Mount Erebus, a volcano in Antarctica, named after HMS Erebus.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Nay, were he Deul, as he is no man, Yet in reuenge of faire Zenocrate, UUhome he detayneth in deſpight of vs, This arme ſhould ſend him downe to Erebus, To ſhroud his ſhame in darkneſſe of the night.

Etymology

From Latin Erebus. Doublet of rajas. [Alt: Mount Erebus]

This word in other languages

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 "Erebus"?
"Erebus" is spelled E-R-E-B-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛɹəbəs/.
What does "Erebus" mean?
As a proper noun, "Erebus" means: One of the Greek primordial deities who was the personification of darkness and shadow, brother-husband of Nyx and son of Chaos.
How do you pronounce "Erebus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Erebus" is /ˈɛɹəbəs/. 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 "Erebus"?
From Latin Erebus. Doublet of rajas. [Alt: Mount Erebus] 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 "Erebus", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list