vigorous

/ˈvɪɡəɹəs/

//ˈvɪɡəɹəs// adj

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

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

The verdict

“vigorous” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,939. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,939
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Physically strong and active.

Corpus desk

Index EN-vigorous · vigorous · English

vigorous · rank #15,939 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #15,939
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH vertically

Nearest frequency peer: vertically (-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 “vigorous”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “vigorous” 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).

vigorous vs vigorously
80% similar

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

Key facts for vigorous
PropertyValue
Headwordvigorous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈvɪɡəɹəs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#15,939
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “vigorous”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).vigorouslands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “vertically” (#15,938), “wandered” (#15,941), “underworld” (#15,936). Among 969 “V” headwords, “vigorous” is #15,939. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around vigorous (IPA /ˈvɪɡəɹəs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #15,939 among 969 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for vigorous, with forms such as "ivgorous", "vgiorous", and "viggorous". 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, "vigorously", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman vigrus, from Old French vigoros (French vigoureux), from Medieval Latin vigorosus, from Latin vigor. Doublet of vigoroso. The correct English form is vigorous, spelled V-I-G-O-R-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Physically strong and active.
  2. 2
    Mentally strong and active.
  3. 3
    Rapid of growth.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. a vigorous scrub
  2. a vigorous search

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman vigrus, from Old French vigoros (French vigoureux), from Medieval Latin vigorosus, from Latin vigor. Doublet of vigoroso.

This word in other languages

vigoroso(Español)kräftig(Deutsch)vigoroso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ivgorous
  • vgiorous
  • viggorous
  • vigoorus
  • vigorosu
  • vigorouss
  • vigorrous
  • vigoruos
  • vigroous
  • viogrous
  • vvigorous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of vigorous - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ivgorous2vgiorous2viggorous1vigoorus2vigorosu2vigorouss1vigorrous1vigoruos2
Edit distance from "vigorous"

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 "vigorous"?
"vigorous" is spelled V-I-G-O-R-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɪɡəɹəs/.
What does "vigorous" mean?
As an adjective, "vigorous" means: Physically strong and active.
What words are commonly confused with "vigorous"?
"vigorous" is commonly confused with "vigorously". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "vigorous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vigorous" is /ˈvɪɡəɹəs/. 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 "vigorous"?
From Anglo-Norman vigrus, from Old French vigoros (French vigoureux), from Medieval Latin vigorosus, from Latin vigor. Doublet of vigoroso. 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 "vigorous", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

wandered#15,941spectral#15,915simplify#15,908cervical#15,978

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

ticking11 variantstangled11 variantsbashing11 variantsbathtub11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list