# Unix

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈjuː.nɪks/ · frequency rank #19,495

## Definitions
1. An operating system that shares the original source code by Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson.
2. An operating system largely compatible with Unix that qualifies for use of the UNIX trademark, currently owned by The Open Group.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
English Multics
▲
English eunuchinflu.
English Unix
A pun on Multics to sound like eunuchs, as Unix was considered to be an emasculated Multics (see multi- and uni-). Likely coined by Canadian computer scientist Brian Kernighan in 1970.

## Easily confused with
- **uno** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unix-vs-uno)
- **Uri** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unix-vs-uri)
- **UPI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unix-vs-upi)
- **uzi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unix-vs-uzi)
- **unto** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unix-vs-unto)
- **UNLV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unix-vs-unlv)
- **uric** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unix-vs-uric)
- **until** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unix-vs-until)
- **Unwin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unix-vs-unwin)
- **UI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ui-vs-unix)
- **und** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/und-vs-unix)
- **uni** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/uni-vs-unix)
- **Una** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/una-vs-unix)
- **unc** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unc-vs-unix)
- **UCI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/uci-vs-unix)
- **UBI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ubi-vs-unix)
- **unit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unit-vs-unix)
- **UKIP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ukip-vs-unix)
- **undo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/undo-vs-unix)
- **univ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/univ-vs-unix)

## Common misspellings (5)
`nuix`, `uinx`, `unixx`, `unnix`, `unxi`

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