vertex
/ˈvɝˌtɛks/noun
vertex is spelled V-E-R-T-E-X: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,073rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, vertex means “The highest point, top or apex of something” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of vertex is vertices or vertexes.
How many letters and syllables are in vertex?
| Letters | 6: V-E-R-T-E-X |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.6 times per million words; the 22,073rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is vertex?
Vertex appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,073rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce vertex?
- UK /ˈvɜː.tɛks/
- US /ˈvɝˌtɛks/
Vertex has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-vertex.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of vertex
- vertices plural
- vertexes plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does vertex mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The highest point, top or apex of something.
The mountain’s vertex was covered in snow.
- 2
The highest surface on the skull; the crown of the head.
- 3
The common point of the two rays that form an angle.
- 4
The point at which an axis meets a curve or surface.
- 5
A point on the curve with a local minimum or maximum of curvature.
- 6
One of the elements of a graph joined or not by edges to other vertices.
- 7
A point in 3D space, usually given in terms of its Cartesian coordinates.
- 8
The point where the surface of a lens crosses the optical axis.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Vertex in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | sommet , sommet (de la tête) |
| German | Spitze, Gipfel, Scheitelpunkt, Gipfelpunkt , Scheitel |
| Portuguese | cume, vértice, topo |
| Spanish | cumbre, vértice |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does vertex come from?
Late Middle English, borrowed from Latin vertex (“whirl, eddy; top, crown, peak, summit”). Doublet of vortex.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).