ergonomics

/ɜː.ɡəˈnɒ.mɪks/

//ɜː.ɡəˈnɒ.mɪks// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"ergonomics" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

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
2,246
“E” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The science of the design of equipment, especially so as to reduce operator fatigue, discomfort and injury.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ergonomics · ergonomics · English

ergonomics · rank #39,803 · 15 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,803
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH epithelium

Nearest frequency peer: epithelium (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “ergonomics”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “ergonomics” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

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
PropertyValue
Headwordergonomics
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɜː.ɡəˈnɒ.mɪks/
Letters10
Frequency rank#39,803
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ergonomics”

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).ergonomicslands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “epithelium” (#39,802), “Eugenie” (#39,805), “engrossing” (#39,800). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “ergonomics” is #39,803. 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 2,246 “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. 1
    The science of the design of equipment, especially so as to reduce operator fatigue, discomfort and injury.
  2. 2
    Political economy.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Ergonomics is increasingly important in office-product design.
  2. Ergonomics, deriving from the Greek word "ergon" work is now mainly considered to mean "the science of designing machines and environments that are most suited to the efficiency, comfort, safety and peace of mind of those working with them" (see Armbruster, 1983). […] Ergonomics goes beyond the prevention of health hazards, it aims to optimize the coexist…

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.

egronomics2erggonomics1ergnoomics2ergonmoics2ergonnomics1ergonoimcs2ergonomcis2ergonomiccs1
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"?
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 Gre... 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 "ergonomics", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

epithelium#39,802engrossing#39,800eukaryotic#39,806flirtation#39,815

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

conceiving15 variantsirrefutable15 variantsBainbridge15 variantsapothecary15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list