Virgil

/ˈvɜːdʒɪl/

//ˈvɜːdʒɪl// name

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

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

The verdict

“Virgil” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,825 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#16,825
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Pūblius Vergilius Marō (70–19 BCE), Roman epic writer from the Augustan period, best known for writing the Aeneid.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Virgil vs Virgo
67% similar
Virgil vs virgin
67% similar
Virgil vs viral
50% similar

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

Key facts for Virgil
PropertyValue
HeadwordVirgil
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈvɜːdʒɪl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#16,825
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Virgil” 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). Virgil 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 Virgil is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈvɜːdʒɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,825 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for Virgil, with forms such as "ivrgil", "vigril", and "virggil". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "Virgo", "virgin", "viral", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English Vyrgyle, from Latin Virgilius, from the Roman clan name Vergilius, from Etruscan and of unknown meaning. The correct English form is Virgil, spelled V-I-R-G-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pūblius Vergilius Marō (70–19 BCE), Roman epic writer from the Augustan period, best known for writing the Aeneid.
  2. 2
    A male given name from Latin.
  3. 3
    A settlement in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Regional Municipality of Niagara, Ontario, Canada.
  4. 4
    A place in the United States:
  5. 5
    A place in the United States:
  6. 6
    A place in the United States:
  7. 7
    A place in the United States:
  8. 8
    A place in the United States:

Etymology

From Middle English Vyrgyle, from Latin Virgilius, from the Roman clan name Vergilius, from Etruscan and of unknown meaning.

This word in other languages

Virgilio(Español)Virgile(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ivrgil,vigril,virggil,virgill,virgli,virigl,virrgil,vrigil,vvirgil

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Virgil - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ivrgil2vigril2virggil1virgill1virgli2virigl2virrgil1vrigil2
Edit distance from "Virgil"

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 "Virgil"?
"Virgil" is spelled V-I-R-G-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɜːdʒɪl/.
What does "Virgil" mean?
As a proper noun, "Virgil" means: Pūblius Vergilius Marō (70–19 BCE), Roman epic writer from the Augustan period, best known for writing the Aeneid.
What words are commonly confused with "Virgil"?
"Virgil" is commonly confused with "Virgo", "virgin", "viral". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Virgil"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Virgil" is /ˈvɜːdʒɪl/. 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 "Virgil"?
From Middle English Vyrgyle, from Latin Virgilius, from the Roman clan name Vergilius, from Etruscan and of unknown meaning. 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 “Virgil”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is V-I-R-G-I-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈvɜːdʒɪl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Virgo” - see the side-by-side comparison. Virgil vs Virgo
  • 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