anus

\a.nys\

/\a.nys\/ noun

The verdict

“anus” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #12,304 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,304
frequency rank, French
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Orifice du rectum par lequel se termine l’intestin.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

anus vs au
50% similar
anus vs As
25% similar
anus vs aux
50% similar

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

Key facts for anus
PropertyValue
Headwordanus
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\a.nys\
Letters4
Frequency rank#12,304
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “anus” sits in French 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). anus 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 French entry for anus is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \a.nys\. Corpus data places it at rank #12,304 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for anus, with forms such as "annus", "ansu", and "anuss". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "au", "As", "aux", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is anus, spelled A-N-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Orifice du rectum par lequel se termine l’intestin.
  2. 2
    Dépression qu’offre assez souvent, en avant du sommet, la partie dorsale de la face externe d’une valve de coquille bivalve, quand on l’envisage sur les deux valves à la fois.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: annus,ansu,anuss,auns,naus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of anus - 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.

annus1ansu2anuss1auns2naus2
Edit distance from "anus"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "anus"?
"anus" is spelled A-N-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is \a.nys\.
What does "anus" mean?
As a noun, "anus" means: Orifice du rectum par lequel se termine l’intestin.
What words are commonly confused with "anus"?
"anus" is commonly confused with "au", "As", "aux". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "anus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "anus" is \a.nys\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "anus" come from?
"anus" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “anus”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is A-N-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \a.nys\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “au” - see the side-by-side comparison. anus vs au
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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