synapses
/ˈsɪnæpsɪz/
"synapses" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“synapses” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #35,976 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #35,976
- frequency rank, English
- 8
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
- 2
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - plural of synapse
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | synapses |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈsɪnæpsɪz/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #35,976 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 2 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “synapses” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for synapses is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɪnæpsɪz/. Corpus data places it at rank #35,976 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for synapses, with forms such as "snyapses", "ssynapses", and "syanpses". 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, "synopsis", "synapse", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct English form is synapses, spelled S-Y-N-A-P-S-E-S.
Definition
- 1plural of synapse
- 2plural of synapsis
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: snyapses,ssynapses,syanpses,synapess,synappses,synapsess,synapsse,synapsses,synaspes,synnapses,synpases,syynapses,ysnapses
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of synapses - 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.
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 "synapses"?
What does "synapses" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "synapses"?
How do you pronounce "synapses"?
What language does "synapses" come from?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “synapses”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-Y-N-A-P-S-E-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈsɪnæpsɪz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “synopsis” - see the side-by-side comparison. synapses vs synopsis
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.