synapsis

/sɪˈnæpsɪs/

//sɪˈnæpsɪs// noun

"synapsis" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The association of homologous maternal and paternal chromosomes during the initial part of meiosis.

Corpus desk

Index EN-synapsis · synapsis · English

synapsis · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" 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 synapsis
PropertyValue
Headwordsynapsis
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/sɪˈnæpsɪs/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “synapsis” in English

synapsisfalls 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

synapsis is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /sɪˈnæpsɪs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

synapsis doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek σῠ́νᾰψῐς (sŭ́năpsĭs, “contact”). The correct English form is synapsis, spelled S-Y-N-A-P-S-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The association of homologous maternal and paternal chromosomes during the initial part of meiosis.
  2. 2
    Alternative form of synapse.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σῠ́νᾰψῐς (sŭ́năpsĭs, “contact”).

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 "synapsis"?
"synapsis" is spelled S-Y-N-A-P-S-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /sɪˈnæpsɪs/.
What does "synapsis" mean?
As a noun, "synapsis" means: The association of homologous maternal and paternal chromosomes during the initial part of meiosis.
How do you pronounce "synapsis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "synapsis" is /sɪˈnæpsɪs/. 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 "synapsis"?
From Ancient Greek σῠ́νᾰψῐς (sŭ́năpsĭs, “contact”). 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