synapse

/ˈsɪnæps/

//ˈsɪnæps// noun

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

The verdict

“synapse” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,127. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,127
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The junction between the terminal of a neuron and either another neuron or a muscle or gland cell, over which nerve impulses pass.

Corpus desk

Index EN-synapse · synapse · English

synapse · rank #39,127 · 10 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,127
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH swampy

Nearest frequency peer: swampy (-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 “synapse”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “synapse” 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).

synapse vs synapses
88% similar
synapse vs Snape
57% similar

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

Key facts for synapse
PropertyValue
Headwordsynapse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪnæps/
Letters7
Frequency rank#39,127
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “synapse”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “swampy” (#39,126), “Svetlana” (#39,125), “tasking” (#39,129). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “synapse” is #39,127. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around synapse (IPA /ˈsɪnæps/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,127 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Dominant gloss: "The junction between the terminal of a neuron and either another neuron or a muscle or gland cell, over which nerve impulses pass.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for synapse, with forms such as "snyapse", "ssynapse", and "syanpse". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "synapses", "Snape", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek σύναψις (súnapsis, “conjunction”), from συνάπτω (sunáptō, “to clasp”). Introduced by neurophysiologist Charles Scott Sherrington. The correct English form is synapse, spelled S-Y-N-A-P-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The junction between the terminal of a neuron and either another neuron or a muscle or gland cell, over which nerve impulses pass.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek σύναψις (súnapsis, “conjunction”), from συνάπτω (sunáptō, “to clasp”). Introduced by neurophysiologist Charles Scott Sherrington.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • snyapse
  • ssynapse
  • syanpse
  • synapes
  • synappse
  • synaspe
  • synnapse
  • synpase
  • syynapse
  • ysnapse

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

snyapse2ssynapse1syanpse2synapes2synappse1synaspe2synnapse1synpase2
Edit distance from "synapse"

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 "synapse"?
"synapse" is spelled S-Y-N-A-P-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪnæps/.
What does "synapse" mean?
As a noun, "synapse" means: The junction between the terminal of a neuron and either another neuron or a muscle or gland cell, over which nerve impulses pass.
What words are commonly confused with "synapse"?
"synapse" is commonly confused with "synapses", "Snape". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "synapse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "synapse" is /ˈsɪnæps/. 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 "synapse"?
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek σύναψις (súnapsis, “conjunction”), from συνάπτω (sunáptō, “to clasp”). Introduced by neurophysiologist Charles Scott Sherrington. 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 "synapse", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list