neurotic

/n(j)ʊəˈɹɒtɪk/

//n(j)ʊəˈɹɒtɪk// adj

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

"neurotic" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“neurotic” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,185. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,185
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Affected with a neurosis.

Corpus desk

Index EN-neurotic · neurotic · English

neurotic · rank #26,185 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #26,185
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH nascent

Nearest frequency peer: nascent (-2 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 “neurotic”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “neurotic” 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).

neurotic vs neurosis
75% similar

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

Key facts for neurotic
PropertyValue
Headwordneurotic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/n(j)ʊəˈɹɒtɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#26,185
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “neurotic”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).neuroticlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “nascent” (#26,183), “noone” (#26,187), “naps” (#26,182). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “neurotic” is #26,185. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around neurotic (IPA /n(j)ʊəˈɹɒtɪk/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #26,185 among 1,534 “N” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for neurotic, with forms such as "enurotic", "neruotic", and "neuortic". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "neurosis", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Formed of neuro- (“of nerves or the nervous system”) + -otic (“having abnormal condition”). The initial element, in turn, is from Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron, “nerve”). Attested from the 17th century. Compare French névrotique. The correct English form is neurotic, spelled N-E-U-R-O-T-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Affected with a neurosis.
  2. 2
    Overly anxious.
  3. 3
    Useful in disorders of, or affecting, the nerves.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. If there were such a thing as inspiration from a higher realm, it might well be that the neurotic temperament would furnish the chief condition of the requisite receptivity.
  2. He is getting neurotic about time-keeping.

Etymology

Formed of neuro- (“of nerves or the nervous system”) + -otic (“having abnormal condition”). The initial element, in turn, is from Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron, “nerve”). Attested from the 17th century. Compare French névrotique.

This word in other languages

névrotique(Français)neurotisch(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • enurotic
  • neruotic
  • neuortic
  • neuroitc
  • neurotci
  • neuroticc
  • neurottic
  • neurrotic
  • neurtoic
  • nneurotic
  • nuerotic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of neurotic - 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.

enurotic2neruotic2neuortic2neuroitc2neurotci2neuroticc1neurottic1neurrotic1
Edit distance from "neurotic"

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 "neurotic"?
"neurotic" is spelled N-E-U-R-O-T-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /n(j)ʊəˈɹɒtɪk/.
What does "neurotic" mean?
As an adjective, "neurotic" means: Affected with a neurosis.
What words are commonly confused with "neurotic"?
"neurotic" is commonly confused with "neurosis". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "neurotic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "neurotic" is /n(j)ʊəˈɹɒtɪk/. 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 "neurotic"?
Formed of neuro- (“of nerves or the nervous system”) + -otic (“having abnormal condition”). The initial element, in turn, is from Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron, “nerve”). Attested from the 17th century. Compare French névrotique. 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 "neurotic", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

mulligan#26,178Montague#26,171procured#26,208Mayfield#26,160

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

nascent11 variantsMarquette11 variantsremedial11 variantssloping11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list