nervous

/ˈnɜːvəs/

//ˈnɜːvəs// adj

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

"nervous" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nervous” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,513 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#3,513
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of sinews and tendons.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

nervous vs nervously
78% similar
nervous vs nerves
71% similar

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

Key facts for nervous
PropertyValue
Headwordnervous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈnɜːvəs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#3,513
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nervous” 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). nervous 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 nervous is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnɜːvəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,513 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for nervous, with forms such as "enrvous", "nerovus", and "nerrvous". 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, "nervously", "nerves", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English nervous (“composed of or incorporating nerves”), from Latin nervōsus (“nervous; sinewy; energetic, vigorous”), from nervus (“nerve; muscle; sinew, tendon; (figuratively) energy, power; nerve; force, strength, vigour”) (ultimately from Pr… The correct English form is nervous, spelled N-E-R-V-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of sinews and tendons.
  2. 2
    Of sinews and tendons.
  3. 3
    Of sinews and tendons.
  4. 4
    Of nerves.
  5. 5
    Of nerves.
  6. 6
    Of nerves.
  7. 7
    Of nerves.
  8. 8
    Of nerves.

Etymology

From Middle English nervous (“composed of or incorporating nerves”), from Latin nervōsus (“nervous; sinewy; energetic, vigorous”), from nervus (“nerve; muscle; sinew, tendon; (figuratively) energy, power; nerve; force, strength, vigour”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *snéh₁wr̥ (“sinew, tendon”)) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives from nouns). The English word is analysable as nerve + -ous.

Synonyms

angstfulapprehensiveanxiouscarefulconcerneddistraughtdisturbededgyfraughtfreaked outhagriddenhigh-strungjitteryjumpyleerynervousnervyon edgeperturbablerestlessskittishspookishsqueamishtied in knotstwitchyuneasyunquietverklemptworriedworrisomeworryful

Antonyms

calmintrepidunperturbedunworried

This word in other languages

nervioso(Español)nerveux(Français)nervös(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: enrvous,nerovus,nerrvous,nervosu,nervouss,nervuos,nervvous,nevrous,nnervous,nrevous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nervous - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

enrvous2nerovus2nerrvous1nervosu2nervouss1nervuos2nervvous1nevrous2
Edit distance from "nervous"

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 "nervous"?
"nervous" is spelled N-E-R-V-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnɜːvəs/.
What does "nervous" mean?
As an adjective, "nervous" means: Of sinews and tendons.
What words are commonly confused with "nervous"?
"nervous" is commonly confused with "nervously", "nerves". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nervous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nervous" is /ˈnɜːvəs/. 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 "nervous"?
From Middle English nervous (“composed of or incorporating nerves”), from Latin nervōsus (“nervous; sinewy; energetic, vigorous”), from nervus (“nerve; muscle; sinew, tendon; (figuratively) energy, power; nerve; force, strength, vigour”) (ultimate... 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 “nervous”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is N-E-R-V-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnɜːvəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “nervously” - see the side-by-side comparison. nervous vs nervously
  • 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