ergonomics

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

/ɜː.ɡəˈnɒ.mɪks/

//ɜː.ɡəˈnɒ.mɪks// noun

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

The verdict

“ergonomics” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,803. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,803
frequency rank, English: 18,836
“E” headwords: 15
tracked misspellings: 2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The science of the design of equipment, especially so as to reduce operator fatigue, discomfort and injury.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

ergonomics vs economics

80% similar

ergonomics vs ergonomic

90% similar

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

Key facts for ergonomics
Property	Value
Headword	ergonomics
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ɜː.ɡəˈnɒ.mɪks/
Letters	10
Frequency rank	#39,803
Misspellings tracked	15
Confusable pairs	2
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ergonomics” 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). ergonomics lands here:

#39,803

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

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around ergonomics (IPA /ɜː.ɡəˈnɒ.mɪks/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,803 among 18,836 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for ergonomics, with forms such as "egronomics", "erggonomics", and "ergnoomics". 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. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "economics", "ergonomic", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From ergo- (prefix indicating work) + -nomics (suffix indicating the rules of a discipline), probably modelled after Polish ergonomia (“ergonomics”) (used by Polish scientist Wojciech Jastrzębowski (1799–1882) in an 1857 article), from Ancient Greek ἔργον (… The correct English form is ergonomics, spelled E-R-G-O-N-O-M-I-C-S.

Definition

1
The science of the design of equipment, especially so as to reduce operator fatigue, discomfort and injury.
2
Political economy.

Etymology

From ergo- (prefix indicating work) + -nomics (suffix indicating the rules of a discipline), probably modelled after Polish ergonomia (“ergonomics”) (used by Polish scientist Wojciech Jastrzębowski (1799–1882) in an 1857 article), from Ancient Greek ἔργον (érgon, “work”) + νόμος (nómos, “custom; law, ordinance”). The English word is widely regarded as having been introduced by British psychologist K. F. Hywel Murrell at a meeting at the Admiralty in London in July 1949, which led to the establishment of the Ergonomics Research Society (now The Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors) on 17 September 1949.

Synonyms

human factors

This word in other languages

ergonomía(Español)ergonomie(Français)Ergonomie(Deutsch)ergonomia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

egronomics
erggonomics
ergnoomics
ergonmoics
ergonnomics
ergonoimcs
ergonomcis
ergonomiccs
ergonomicss
ergonomisc
ergonommics
ergoonmics
erognomics
errgonomics
regonomics

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "ergonomics"

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 "ergonomics"?

"ergonomics" is spelled E-R-G-O-N-O-M-I-C-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ɜː.ɡəˈnɒ.mɪks/.

What does "ergonomics" mean?

As a noun, "ergonomics" means: The science of the design of equipment, especially so as to reduce operator fatigue, discomfort and injury.

What words are commonly confused with "ergonomics"?

"ergonomics" is commonly confused with "economics", "ergonomic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "ergonomics"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ergonomics" is /ɜː.ɡəˈnɒ.mɪks/. 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 "ergonomics"?

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 “ergonomics”

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

The one correct English spelling is E-R-G-O-N-O-M-I-C-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ɜː.ɡəˈnɒ.mɪks/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “economics” - see the side-by-side comparison. ergonomics vs economics
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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.