venomous

/ˈvɛnəməs/

//ˈvɛnəməs// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

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

The verdict

“venomous” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,300 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#26,300
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of an animal (specifically a snake) or parts of its body: producing venom (“a toxin intended for defensive or offensive use”) which is usually injected into an enemy or prey by biting or stinging; ...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

venomous vs venous
75% similar

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

Key facts for venomous
PropertyValue
Headwordvenomous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈvɛnəməs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#26,300
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “venomous” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for venomous is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈvɛnəməs/. Corpus data places it at rank #26,300 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for venomous, with forms such as "evnomous", "venmoous", and "vennomous". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "venous", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English venymous, from Old French venimos, composed of venim (“venom”) + -os (adjective-forming suffix). Synchronically analysable as venom + -ous. Compare Modern French venimeux. Piecewise doublet of venenous. The correct English form is venomous, spelled V-E-N-O-M-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of an animal (specifically a snake) or parts of its body: producing venom (“a toxin intended for defensive or offensive use”) which is usually injected into an enemy or prey by biting or stinging; hence, of a bite or sting: injecting venom.
  2. 2
    Of or pertaining to venom.
  3. 3
    Consisting of, or containing or full of, venom or some other poison; hence, harmful to health due to this.
  4. 4
    Posing a threat; dangerous, threatening.
  5. 5
    Hateful; malignant; spiteful.
  6. 6
    Of a weapon such as an arrow or dart: dosed with venom or poison; envenomed, poisoned.
  7. 7
    Harmful, hurtful, injurious; specifically, morally or spiritually harmful; evil, noxious, pernicious.

Etymology

From Middle English venymous, from Old French venimos, composed of venim (“venom”) + -os (adjective-forming suffix). Synchronically analysable as venom + -ous. Compare Modern French venimeux. Piecewise doublet of venenous.

This word in other languages

venenoso(Español)vénéneux(Français)giftig(Deutsch)venenoso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: evnomous,venmoous,vennomous,venommous,venomosu,venomouss,venomuos,venoomus,veonmous,vneomous,vvenomous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

evnomous2venmoous2vennomous1venommous1venomosu2venomouss1venomuos2venoomus2
Edit distance from "venomous"

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 "venomous"?
"venomous" is spelled V-E-N-O-M-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɛnəməs/.
What does "venomous" mean?
As an adjective, "venomous" means: Of an animal (specifically a snake) or parts of its body: producing venom (“a toxin intended for defensive or offensive use”) which is usually injected into an enemy or prey by biting or stinging; ...
What words are commonly confused with "venomous"?
"venomous" is commonly confused with "venous". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "venomous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "venomous" is /ˈvɛnəməs/. 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 "venomous"?
From Middle English venymous, from Old French venimos, composed of venim (“venom”) + -os (adjective-forming suffix). Synchronically analysable as venom + -ous. Compare Modern French venimeux. Piecewise doublet of venenous. 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.

Using “venomous”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is V-E-N-O-M-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈvɛnəməs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “venous” - see the side-by-side comparison. venomous vs venous
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list