hippocampus

noun

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

"hippocampus" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hippocampus” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,309. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,309
frequency rank, English
23,837
“H” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A mythological creature with the front head and forelimbs of a horse and the rear of a fish.

Key facts for hippocampus
PropertyValue
Headwordhippocampus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters11
Frequency rank#29,309
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hippocampus” 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). hippocampus lands here:

#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 hippocampus, anoun. Corpus frequency is #29,309 among 23,837 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for hippocampus, with forms such as "hhippocampus", "hipocampus", and "hipopcampus". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Late Latin hippocampus, from Ancient Greek ἱππόκαμπος (hippókampos, from ῐ̔́ππος (hĭ́ppos, “horse”) + κάμπος (kámpos, “sea-monster”)). The anatomy sense is so named from its resemblance to the seahorse. By surface analysis, hippo- + campus. The correct English form is hippocampus, spelled H-I-P-P-O-C-A-M-P-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A mythological creature with the front head and forelimbs of a horse and the rear of a fish.
  2. 2
    A part of the brain located inside the temporal lobe, consisting mainly of grey matter. It is a component of the limbic system and plays a role in memory and emotion.

Etymology

From Late Latin hippocampus, from Ancient Greek ἱππόκαμπος (hippókampos, from ῐ̔́ππος (hĭ́ppos, “horse”) + κάμπος (kámpos, “sea-monster”)). The anatomy sense is so named from its resemblance to the seahorse. By surface analysis, hippo- + campus.

This word in other languages

hipocampo(Español)hippocampe(Français)Hippocampus(Deutsch)hipocampo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hhippocampus
  • hipocampus
  • hipopcampus
  • hippcoampus
  • hippoacmpus
  • hippocammpus
  • hippocamppus
  • hippocampsu
  • hippocampuss
  • hippocamups
  • hippocapmus
  • hippoccampus
  • hippocmapus
  • hpipocampus
  • ihppocampus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hhippocampus1hipocampus1hipopcampus2hippcoampus2hippoacmpus2hippocammpus1hippocamppus1hippocampsu2
Edit distance from "hippocampus"

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 "hippocampus"?
"hippocampus" is spelled H-I-P-P-O-C-A-M-P-U-S.
What does "hippocampus" mean?
As a noun, "hippocampus" means: A mythological creature with the front head and forelimbs of a horse and the rear of a fish.
What are common misspellings of "hippocampus"?
Common misspellings include "hhippocampus", "hipocampus", "hipopcampus", "hippcoampus", "hippoacmpus". The correct spelling is "hippocampus".
What is the origin of the word "hippocampus"?
From Late Latin hippocampus, from Ancient Greek ἱππόκαμπος (hippókampos, from ῐ̔́ππος (hĭ́ppos, “horse”) + κάμπος (kámpos, “sea-monster”)). The anatomy sense is so named from its resemblance to the seahorse. By surface analysis, hippo- + campus. 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 “hippocampus”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-I-P-P-O-C-A-M-P-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list