# Wessex

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈwɛs.ɪks/ · frequency rank #33,483

## Definitions
1. One of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, existing between the 6th and 9th centuries, and comprising most of England south of the Thames.
2. The West Country, a geographic area in the south west of England.

## Etymology
From Middle English Westsex, from Old English Westseaxan (literally “West Saxons”), which stood for both Wessex and its people. The use of Wessex in a modern context for the West Country was popularised by Thomas Hardy, who used the term for his semi-fictional setting based on the region.

## Easily confused with
- **Wesson** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wessex-vs-wesson)
- **Wesley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wesley-vs-wessex)
- **weasel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/weasel-vs-wessex)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ewssex`, `wesesx`, `wesex`, `wessexx`, `wessxe`, `wsesex`, `wwessex`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/wessex