onerous

/ˈɒnəɹəs/

//ˈɒnəɹəs// adj

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

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

The verdict

“onerous” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,104. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,104
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
9
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Imposing or constituting a physical, mental, or figurative load which can be borne only with effort; burdensome.

Corpus desk

Index EN-onerous · onerous · English

onerous · rank #32,104 · 9 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,104
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH O'Shea

Nearest frequency peer: O'Shea (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “onerous”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “onerous” 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
Key facts for onerous
PropertyValue
Headwordonerous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɒnəɹəs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#32,104
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “onerous”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).onerouslands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “O'Shea” (#32,103), “onsite” (#32,105), “nth” (#32,102). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “onerous” is #32,104. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around onerous (IPA /ˈɒnəɹəs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #32,104 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Imposing or constituting a physical, mental, or figurative load which can be borne only with effort; burdensome.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for onerous, with forms such as "noerous", "oenrous", and "oneorus". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English onerous, from Middle French onereux, from Old French onereus, from Latin onerosus (“burdensome”), from onus (“load”). Compare exonerate. The correct English form is onerous, spelled O-N-E-R-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Imposing or constituting a physical, mental, or figurative load which can be borne only with effort; burdensome.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. That all this might not be too onerous on the purses of his rustic patrons, who are apt to consider the costs of schooling a grievous burden, and schoolmasters as mere drones, he had various ways of rendering himself both useful and agreeable.
  2. Again, and more intensely than ever, she desired a fixed occupation,—no matter how onerous, how irksome.

Etymology

From Middle English onerous, from Middle French onereux, from Old French onereus, from Latin onerosus (“burdensome”), from onus (“load”). Compare exonerate.

This word in other languages

oneroso(Español)onéreux(Français)beschwerlich(Deutsch)oneroso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • noerous
  • oenrous
  • oneorus
  • onerosu
  • onerouss
  • onerrous
  • oneruos
  • onnerous
  • onreous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

noerous2oenrous2oneorus2onerosu2onerouss1onerrous1oneruos2onnerous1
Edit distance from "onerous"

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 "onerous"?
"onerous" is spelled O-N-E-R-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒnəɹəs/.
What does "onerous" mean?
As an adjective, "onerous" means: Imposing or constituting a physical, mental, or figurative load which can be borne only with effort; burdensome.
What are common misspellings of "onerous"?
Common misspellings include "noerous", "oenrous", "oneorus", "onerosu", "onerouss". The correct spelling is "onerous".
How do you pronounce "onerous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "onerous" is /ˈɒnəɹəs/. 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 "onerous"?
From Middle English onerous, from Middle French onereux, from Old French onereus, from Latin onerosus (“burdensome”), from onus (“load”). Compare exonerate. 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 "onerous", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

pardons#32,113peeping#32,116Peralta#32,118Mombasa#32,087

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

murmur9 variantsMonash9 variantsMinogue9 variantsplumes9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list