vex

/vɛks/

//vɛks// verb

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

"vex" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“vex” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #35,148) as a verb. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#35,148
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To annoy, irritate.

Corpus desk

Index EN-vex · vex · English

vex · rank #35,148 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,148
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH verve

Nearest frequency peer: verve (-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.

Frequency neighbours of confusable “vex”

Peers at similar corpus weight, separate from look-alike pairs below

corpus weight

What this shows Bars place “vex” against nearest ranked English headwords, not a reprint of the confusable-pair desk.

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).

vex vs vi
33% similar
vex vs VR
0% similar
vex vs VP
0% similar

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

Key facts for vex
PropertyValue
Headwordvex
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/vɛks/
Letters3
Frequency rank#35,148
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Corpus rank beside confusables of “vex”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “verve” (#35,147), “vaudeville” (#35,145), “Viv” (#35,151). Among 969 “V” headwords, “vex” is #35,148. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for vex is neighbouring look-alikes ("vi", "VR", …), not just typos; it is averb pronounced /vɛks/. Frequency #35,148 among 969 “V” headwords. 6 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for vex, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "vi", "VR", "VP", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Latin vexōbor. Old French vexerbor. Middle English vexen English vex From Middle English vexen, from Old French vexer, from Latin vexāre (“disturb, agitate, annoy”). Doublet of quake. Displaced native Old English dreċċan and gremman. The correct English form is vex, spelled V-E-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    To annoy, irritate.
  2. 2
    To cause (mental) suffering to; to distress.
  3. 3
    To trouble aggressively, to harass.
  4. 4
    To twist, to weave.
  5. 5
    To be irritated; to fret.
  6. 6
    To toss back and forth; to agitate; to disquiet.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Billy's professor was vexed by his continued failure to improve his grades.
  2. The first thing that greets you on entering the church is a notice asking you not to vex the goat, since it renders valuable service in keeping the churchyard tidy.

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin vexōbor. Old French vexerbor. Middle English vexen English vex From Middle English vexen, from Old French vexer, from Latin vexāre (“disturb, agitate, annoy”). Doublet of quake. Displaced native Old English dreċċan and gremman.

Synonyms

afflictaggrieveplagueatraycagdistressengrievegrameharassharrowharrytormenttroublevexrendwring

Antonyms

alleviatecomfort

This word in other languages

molestar(Español)ennuyer(Français)ärgern(Deutsch)irritar(Português)

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 "vex"?
"vex" is spelled V-E-X. The IPA pronunciation is /vɛks/.
What does "vex" mean?
As a verb, "vex" means: To annoy, irritate.
What words are commonly confused with "vex"?
"vex" is commonly confused with "vi", "VR", "VP". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "vex"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vex" is /vɛks/. 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 "vex"?
Etymology tree Latin vexōbor. Old French vexerbor. Middle English vexen English vex From Middle English vexen, from Old French vexer, from Latin vexāre (“disturb, agitate, annoy”). Doublet of quake. Displaced native Old English dreċċan and gremman. 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 "vex", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Viv#35,151VoD#35,153ADR#35,173tek#35,109

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list