nerve

/nɝv/

//nɝv// noun

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

"nerve" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nerve” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,237. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,237
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A bundle of neurons with their connective tissue sheaths, blood vessels and lymphatics.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nerve · nerve · English

nerve · rank #5,237 · 6 variants · 17 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,237
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 17 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH Mississippi

Nearest frequency peer: Mississippi (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “nerve”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “nerve” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

nerve vs neve
80% similar
nerve vs Neva
40% similar
nerve vs never
60% similar

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

Key facts for nerve
PropertyValue
Headwordnerve
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/nɝv/
Letters5
Frequency rank#5,237
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nerve” 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).nerve lands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around nerve (IPA /nɝv/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,237 among 1,534 “N” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for nerve, with forms such as "enrve", "nerev", and "nerrve". 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 17 confusable-pair relationships, "neve", "Neva", "never", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Recorded since circa 1374 as Middle English nerve, from Medieval Latin nervus (“nerve”), from Latin nervus (“sinew”). Doublet of neuron and sinew. Verb verb sense 4 is chiefly a semantic loan from German nerven. The correct English form is nerve, spelled N-E-R-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A bundle of neurons with their connective tissue sheaths, blood vessels and lymphatics.
  2. 2
    A neuron.
  3. 3
    A vein in a leaf; a grain in wood.
  4. 4
    Courage; boldness; audacity; gall.
  5. 5
    Patience; stamina; endurance, fortitude.
  6. 6
    One's neural structures considered collectively as, and conceptually equated with, one's psyche.
  7. 7
    Mental agitation caused by fear, stress or other negative emotions.
  8. 8
    The elastic resistance of raw rubber or other polymers to permanent deformation during processing.
  9. 9
    Sinew, tendon.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The nerves can be seen through the skin.
  2. Like her I go; I cannot stay; ⁠I leave this mortal ark behind, A weight of nerves without a mind, And leave the cliffs, and haste away […]

Etymology

Recorded since circa 1374 as Middle English nerve, from Medieval Latin nervus (“nerve”), from Latin nervus (“sinew”). Doublet of neuron and sinew. Verb verb sense 4 is chiefly a semantic loan from German nerven.

Synonyms

nerve

This word in other languages

nervio(Español)nerf(Français)Nerv(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • enrve
  • nerev
  • nerrve
  • nervve
  • nnerve
  • nreve

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

enrve2nerev2nerrve1nervve1nnerve1nreve2
Edit distance from "nerve"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nerve"?
"nerve" is spelled N-E-R-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /nɝv/.
What does "nerve" mean?
As a noun, "nerve" means: A bundle of neurons with their connective tissue sheaths, blood vessels and lymphatics.
What words are commonly confused with "nerve"?
"nerve" is commonly confused with "neve", "Neva", "never". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nerve"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nerve" is /nɝv/. 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 "nerve"?
Recorded since circa 1374 as Middle English nerve, from Medieval Latin nervus (“nerve”), from Latin nervus (“sinew”). Doublet of neuron and sinew. Verb verb sense 4 is chiefly a semantic loan from German nerven. 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 "nerve", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Marie#5,234humor#5,226Helen#5,225sandy#5,262

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

sheep6 variantscorn6 variantsbulk6 variantsXbox6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "nerve". Here's where to go from here.

  • "nerve" maps to 17 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "neve". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #5,237 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "N" letter cohort. N–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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