nexus

/ˈnɛksəs/

//ˈnɛksəs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“nexus” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,111. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,111
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - A form or state of connection.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nexus · nexus · English

nexus · rank #12,111 · 7 variants · 11 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,111
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 11 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH negligence

Nearest frequency peer: negligence (-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 “nexus”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “nexus” 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 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

nexus vs nous
60% similar
nexus vs NES
0% similar
nexus vs NEX
0% similar

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

Key facts for nexus
PropertyValue
Headwordnexus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnɛksəs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#12,111
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nexus” 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). nexus lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around nexus (IPA /ˈnɛksəs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,111 among 1,534 “N” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for nexus, with forms such as "enxus", "neuxs", and "nexsu". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "nous", "NES", "NEX", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin nexus (“connection, nexus; act of binding, tying or fastening together; something which binds, binding, bond, fastening, joint; legal obligation”), from nectō (“to attach, bind, connect, fasten, tie; to interweave; to relate; to unite; to bind by… The correct English form is nexus, spelled N-E-X-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A form or state of connection.
  2. 2
    A form or state of connection.
  3. 3
    A connected group; a network, a web.
  4. 4
    A centre or focus of something.
  5. 5
    In the work of the Danish linguist Otto Jespersen (1860–1943): a group of words expressing two concepts in one unit (such as a clause or sentence).
  6. 6
    A person who had contracted a nexum or obligation of such a kind that, if they failed to pay, their creditor could compel them to work as a servant until the debt was paid; an indentured servant.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Sunday's election pits Move Forward and the billionaire Shinawatra family's Pheu Thai against ruling parties backed by a nexus of old money, conservatives and generals with influence over key institutions involved in two decades of upheaval in Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy.
  2. More than just a corporate juggernaut, Nvidia also has become an instrument of statecraft, operating at the nexus of advanced technology, diplomacy, and geopolitics.

Etymology

From Latin nexus (“connection, nexus; act of binding, tying or fastening together; something which binds, binding, bond, fastening, joint; legal obligation”), from nectō (“to attach, bind, connect, fasten, tie; to interweave; to relate; to unite; to bind by obligation, make liable, oblige; to compose, contrive, devise, produce”) + -tus (suffix forming verbal nouns).

This word in other languages

nexo(Español)nexus(Français)Verbindung(Deutsch)nexo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • enxus
  • neuxs
  • nexsu
  • nexuss
  • nexxus
  • nnexus
  • nxeus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

enxus2neuxs2nexsu2nexuss1nexxus1nnexus1nxeus2
Edit distance from "nexus"

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 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nexus"?
"nexus" is spelled N-E-X-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnɛksəs/.
What does "nexus" mean?
As a noun, "nexus" means: A form or state of connection.
What words are commonly confused with "nexus"?
"nexus" is commonly confused with "nous", "NES", "NEX". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nexus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nexus" is /ˈnɛksəs/. 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 "nexus"?
From Latin nexus (“connection, nexus; act of binding, tying or fastening together; something which binds, binding, bond, fastening, joint; legal obligation”), from nectō (“to attach, bind, connect, fasten, tie; to interweave; to relate; to unite; ... 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 "nexus", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Naomi#12,108optic#12,117panda#12,118loops#12,096

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Laurie7 variantsSasha7 variantsJules7 variantsstein7 variants
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