Pronunciation: [ɡənˈuːz] (IPA) 
The word "gnus" is spelled with a silent "g" followed by a "n" and a long "u" sound. The phonetic transcription of "gnus" is /njuːz/. The letter "n" in this word represents the voiced nasal sound, while the letter "u" stands for the long vowel sound. The silent letter "g" is often found in English words of Greek or Latin origin. Thus, the correct spelling of the word "gnus" can be tricky for non-native English speakers.
Gnus is a noun that refers to a plural form of the word "gnu." It is primarily used to denote the large African antelopes of the genus Connochaetes, which are characterized by their distinctive appearance with a horse-like head, a long beard, curved horns, and a robust body. Gnus are commonly found in the grasslands and open woodlands of Africa, particularly in regions such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Botswana.
These herbivorous animals are known for their remarkable annual migration, wherein they travel great distances in search of food and water. During this migratory period, millions of gnus join together to form massive herds, offering a captivating spectacle for onlookers.
With their swift running ability, gnus play a vital role in the ecosystem. They are constantly evading predators and help maintain the balance of the food chain. Moreover, gnus have an essential impact on the vegetation, since their grazing significantly affects the growth and diversity of plants in their habitats.
The term "gnus" can also be used metaphorically to describe a group or gathering of people moving or behaving in an organized and synchronized manner, much like the coordinated movements observed within a herd of gnus during migration.
In summary, gnus are remarkable African antelopes known for their distinctive features, extraordinary migratory behavior, and significant ecological role.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "gnus" is actually a shortened form of "wildebeest", which is the common name for a type of large antelope found in Africa. The term "wildebeest" itself comes from the Afrikaans language, a West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, and translates to "wild beast" in English. The word "gnus" is often used informally to refer to this specific type of antelope due to its unique appearance and behavior.
