eunuch

/ˈjuː.nək/

//ˈjuː.nək// noun

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

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

The verdict

“eunuch” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,134. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,134
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A castrated man.

Corpus desk

Index EN-eunuch · eunuch · English

eunuch · rank #36,134 · 8 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,134
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH ethnography

Nearest frequency peer: ethnography (-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 “eunuch”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “eunuch” 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).

eunuch vs Enoch
50% similar
eunuch vs Eunice
50% similar

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

Key facts for eunuch
PropertyValue
Headwordeunuch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈjuː.nək/
Letters6
Frequency rank#36,134
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “eunuch”

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).eunuchlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “ethnography” (#36,133), “exclaim” (#36,135), “extort” (#36,136). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “eunuch” is #36,134. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around eunuch (IPA /ˈjuː.nək/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #36,134 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for eunuch, with forms such as "enuuch", "euncuh", and "eunnuch". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "Enoch", "Eunice", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Ancient Greek εὐνή (eunḗ) Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ-der. Proto-Hellenic *hékʰō Ancient Greek ἔχω (ékhō) Ancient Greek εὐνοῦχος (eunoûkhos)bor. Latin eunūchusder. Middle English eunuk English eunuch From Middle English eunuk, from Middle Frenc… The correct English form is eunuch, spelled E-U-N-U-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A castrated man.
  2. 2
    Such a man employed as harem guard or in certain (mainly Eastern) monarchies (e.g. late Roman and Chinese Empires) as court or state officials.
  3. 3
    A man who is not inclined to marry and procreate.
  4. 4
    One that is ineffectual.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Semiramis was the first woman to invent eunuchs and women have had sympathy for them ever since; […] and women can tell them what they can't tell other men.
  2. He ſhall be made a chaſte and luſtleſſe Eunuch, And in my Sarell tend my Concubines

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek εὐνή (eunḗ) Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ-der. Proto-Hellenic *hékʰō Ancient Greek ἔχω (ékhō) Ancient Greek εὐνοῦχος (eunoûkhos)bor. Latin eunūchusder. Middle English eunuk English eunuch From Middle English eunuk, from Middle French eunuque, from Latin eunūchus, from Ancient Greek εὐνοῦχος (eunoûkhos), from εὐνή (eunḗ, “bed”) + ἔχω (ékhō, “I have, keep”). Originally probably used to refer to a bed chamber attendant.

Synonyms

gelding

This word in other languages

eunuco(Español)eunuque(Français)Eunuch(Deutsch)eunuco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • enuuch
  • euncuh
  • eunnuch
  • eunucch
  • eunuchh
  • eunuhc
  • euunch
  • uenuch

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of eunuch - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

enuuch2euncuh2eunnuch1eunucch1eunuchh1eunuhc2euunch2uenuch2
Edit distance from "eunuch"

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 "eunuch"?
"eunuch" is spelled E-U-N-U-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈjuː.nək/.
What does "eunuch" mean?
As a noun, "eunuch" means: A castrated man.
What words are commonly confused with "eunuch"?
"eunuch" is commonly confused with "Enoch", "Eunice". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "eunuch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "eunuch" is /ˈjuː.nək/. 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 "eunuch"?
Etymology tree Ancient Greek εὐνή (eunḗ) Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ-der. Proto-Hellenic *hékʰō Ancient Greek ἔχω (ékhō) Ancient Greek εὐνοῦχος (eunoûkhos)bor. Latin eunūchusder. Middle English eunuk English eunuch From Middle English eunuk, from Mi... 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 "eunuch", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

extort#36,136esprit#36,131falter#36,137Eocene#36,127

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

fissure8 variantsElwood8 variantsDolph8 variantsdingy8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list