Which to use
“mab” and “mug” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #47,175
- “mab” frequency rank
- #11,072
- “mug” frequency rank
- 58247
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mab | mug |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A slattern. | A large cup for beverages, usually having a handle and used without a saucer. |
Letter map: mab vs mug
Shared letters muted; letters that set mab and mug apart highlighted. Shared run: 1.
Pair insight - mab / mug
mab and mug are indexed as a confusable English pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58247, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mab is recorded at frequency rank #47,175, classified as anoun. mug is at rank #11,072, tagged as anoun, pronounced /mʌɡ/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 58247, this pair ranks #113,814 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of mab vs mug
Shared letters: m. Private to "mab": ab. Private to "mug": gu.
"mab" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "mug" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mab" and "mug" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary English text, does "mab" or "mug" show up more?
Useful next steps
You've compared "mab" and "mug". Here's where to go from here.
- Full dictionary entry for "mab" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mug" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #113,814 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mab" and "mug" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "mab vs MPAA". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #113,814 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.