Erebus

Name: Erebus, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈɛɹəbəs/

//ˈɛɹəbəs// name

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“Erebus” is uncommon English (frequency #53,522 among 18,836 “E” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,522
frequency rank, English: 18,836
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One of the Greek primordial deities who was the personification of darkness and shadow, brother-husband of Nyx and son of Chaos.

Key facts for Erebus
Property	Value
Headword	Erebus
Language	English
Part of speech	Proper noun
IPA	/ˈɛɹəbəs/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#53,522
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Erebus” 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). Erebus lands here:

#53,522

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

Rare enough to double-check

Erebus is uncommon English at frequency #53,522 among 18,836 “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
One of the Greek primordial deities who was the personification of darkness and shadow, brother-husband of Nyx and son of Chaos.
2
The dark and gloomy cavern between the earth and Hades; the underworld.
3
Ellipsis of Mount Erebus, a volcano in Antarctica, named after HMS Erebus.

Etymology

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

This word in other languages

Érebo(Español)Érèbe(Français)

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.

Using “Erebus”

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

The one correct English spelling is E-R-E-B-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈɛɹəbəs/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.