Macao

[maˈkao]

/[maˈkao]/ name

The verdict

“Macao” is uncommon German (frequency #66,460 among 3,571 “M” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,460
frequency rank, German
3,571
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - chinesische Sonderverwaltungszone, ehemalige portugiesische Kolonie

Corpus desk

Index DE-macao · Macao · German

Macao · rank #66,460 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #66,460
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,571
  • PHOTO-FINISH lüg

Nearest frequency peer: lüg (-1 rank slots)

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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “Macao”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “Macao” sits against the nearest ranked German headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026
Key facts for Macao
PropertyValue
HeadwordMacao
LanguageGerman
Part of speechProper noun
IPA[maˈkao]
Letters5
Frequency rank#66,460
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Macao” sits in German 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). Macao lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Macao is uncommon German at frequency #66,460 among 3,571 “M” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed [maˈkao]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "chinesische Sonderverwaltungszone, ehemalige portugiesische Kolonie".

Macao doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is Macao, spelled M-A-C-A-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    chinesische Sonderverwaltungszone, ehemalige portugiesische Kolonie

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Seit 2002 boomen die Casinos in Macao.
  2. „Das sozialistische Wirtschaftssystem Chinas wird in Macao nicht angewandt.“

This word in other languages

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

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Macao"?
"Macao" is spelled M-A-C-A-O. The IPA pronunciation is [maˈkao].
What does "Macao" mean?
As a proper noun, "Macao" means: chinesische Sonderverwaltungszone, ehemalige portugiesische Kolonie
How do you pronounce "Macao"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Macao" is [maˈkao]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Macao" come from?
"Macao" is a German 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.

Similar German words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "Macao", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked German headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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