vertex

/ˈvɜː.tɛks/

//ˈvɜː.tɛks// noun

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

"vertex" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“vertex” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,262. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,262
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The highest point, top or apex of something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-vertex · vertex · English

vertex · rank #22,262 · 9 variants · 12 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,262
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 12 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH vertebrae

Nearest frequency peer: vertebrae (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “vertex”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “vertex” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

vertex vs verve
67% similar
vertex vs vortex
83% similar
vertex vs vested
67% similar

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

Key facts for vertex
PropertyValue
Headwordvertex
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈvɜː.tɛks/
Letters6
Frequency rank#22,262
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “vertex”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).vertexlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “vertebrae” (#22,261), “vowels” (#22,263), “Vuitton” (#22,264). Among 969 “V” headwords, “vertex” is #22,262. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around vertex (IPA /ˈvɜː.tɛks/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #22,262 among 969 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for vertex, with forms such as "evrtex", "veretx", and "verrtex". 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 12 confusable-pair relationships, "verve", "vortex", "vested", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Late Middle English, borrowed from Latin vertex (“whirl, eddy; top, crown, peak, summit”). Doublet of vortex. The correct English form is vertex, spelled V-E-R-T-E-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    The highest point, top or apex of something.
  2. 2
    The highest point, top or apex of something.
  3. 3
    An angular point of a polygon, polyhedron or higher order polytope.
  4. 4
    An angular point of a polygon, polyhedron or higher order polytope.
  5. 5
    A point on the curve with a local minimum or maximum of curvature.
  6. 6
    One of the elements of a graph joined or not by edges to other vertices.
  7. 7
    A point in 3D space, usually given in terms of its Cartesian coordinates.
  8. 8
    The point where the surface of a lens crosses the optical axis.
  9. 9
    An interaction point.
  10. 10
    The point where the prime vertical meets the ecliptic in the western hemisphere of a natal chart.
  11. 11
    A sharp downward point opposite a crotch, as in the letters "V" and "W" but not "Y".

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how vertex appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The mountain’s vertex was covered in snow.
  2. He reached the vertex of his career after decades of work.

Etymology

Late Middle English, borrowed from Latin vertex (“whirl, eddy; top, crown, peak, summit”). Doublet of vortex.

This word in other languages

cumbre(Español)sommet(Français)Spitze(Deutsch)topo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • evrtex
  • veretx
  • verrtex
  • vertexx
  • verttex
  • vertxe
  • vetrex
  • vretex
  • vvertex

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

evrtex2veretx2verrtex1vertexx1verttex1vertxe2vetrex2vretex2
Edit distance from "vertex"

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 "vertex"?
"vertex" is spelled V-E-R-T-E-X. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɜː.tɛks/.
What does "vertex" mean?
As a noun, "vertex" means: The highest point, top or apex of something.
What words are commonly confused with "vertex"?
"vertex" is commonly confused with "verve", "vortex", "vested". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "vertex"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vertex" is /ˈvɜː.tɛks/. 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 "vertex"?
Late Middle English, borrowed from Latin vertex (“whirl, eddy; top, crown, peak, summit”). Doublet of vortex. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "vertex", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

vowels#22,263affirm#22,277theses#22,243Andhra#22,284

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

timeout9 variantsstemmed9 variantsbassist9 variantsslider9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list