# typhus

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtaɪfəs/ · frequency rank #39,141

## Definitions
1. Any of several similar diseases, characterised by high recurrent fever, caused by Rickettsia bacteria. Not to be confused with typhoid fever.

## Etymology
From New Latin typhus, from Ancient Greek τῦφος (tûphos, “fever, stupor”), from τύφω (túphō, “to smoke”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ-, extended form of *dʰew- (“scatter like dust”).

## Easily confused with
- **typos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/typhus-vs-typos)
- **thus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thus-vs-typhus)
- **types** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/types-vs-typhus)

## Common misspellings (10)
`tpyhus`, `ttyphus`, `tyhpus`, `typhhus`, `typhsu`, `typhuss`, `typphus`, `typuhs`, `tyyphus`, `ytphus`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/typhus