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” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,237 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,237
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A bundle of neurons with their connective tissue sheaths, blood vessels and lymphatics.

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 →

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for nerve is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /nɝv/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,237 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

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.

Using “nerve”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is N-E-R-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /nɝv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “neve” - see the side-by-side comparison. nerve vs neve
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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