mayday

[ˈmeɪdeɪ]

/[ˈmeɪdeɪ]/ intj

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

The verdict

“mayday” is uncommon German (frequency #58,086 among 44,424 “M” headwords), classed as an interjection. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,086
frequency rank, German
44,424
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Notrufsignal im Sprechfunk

Key facts for mayday
PropertyValue
Headwordmayday
LanguageGerman
Part of speechInterjection
IPA[ˈmeɪdeɪ]
Letters6
Frequency rank#58,086
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mayday” 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). mayday 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

mayday is uncommon German at frequency #58,086 among 44,424 “M” headwords, classed as aninterjection, transcribed [ˈmeɪdeɪ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Notrufsignal im Sprechfunk".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for mayday, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is mayday, spelled M-A-Y-D-A-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Notrufsignal im Sprechfunk

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mayday"?
"mayday" is spelled M-A-Y-D-A-Y. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈmeɪdeɪ].
What does "mayday" mean?
As an interjection, "mayday" means: Notrufsignal im Sprechfunk
How do you pronounce "mayday"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mayday" is [ˈmeɪdeɪ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "mayday" come from?
"mayday" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “mayday”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is M-A-Y-D-A-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈmeɪdeɪ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Other uncommon German words near this 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list