nevus

/ˈniːvəs/

//ˈniːvəs// noun

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

The verdict

“nevus” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of a number of different, usually benign, pigmented, raised or otherwise abnormal lesions of the skin.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nevus · nevus · English

nevus · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "N" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for nevus
PropertyValue
Headwordnevus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈniːvəs/
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “nevus” in English

nevusfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

nevus is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈniːvəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Any of a number of different, usually benign, pigmented, raised or otherwise abnormal lesions of the skin.".

No misspelling variants are generated for nevus in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin naevus. The correct English form is nevus, spelled N-E-V-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of a number of different, usually benign, pigmented, raised or otherwise abnormal lesions of the skin.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Most birthmarks and moles fall into the category of nevi.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin naevus.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nevus"?
"nevus" is spelled N-E-V-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈniːvəs/.
What does "nevus" mean?
As a noun, "nevus" means: Any of a number of different, usually benign, pigmented, raised or otherwise abnormal lesions of the skin.
How do you pronounce "nevus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nevus" is /ˈniːvəs/. 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 "nevus"?
Borrowed from Latin naevus. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list