amalgam
/əˈmæl.ɡəm/
"amalgam" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“amalgam” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #34,773 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #34,773
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An alloy containing mercury.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | amalgam |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /əˈmæl.ɡəm/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #34,773 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “amalgam” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for amalgam is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈmæl.ɡəm/. Corpus data places it at rank #34,773 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for amalgam, with forms such as "aamlgam", "amaglam", and "amalagm". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin amalgama (“mercury alloy”), from Arabic اَلْمَلْغَم (al-malḡam, “emollient poultice or unguent for sores”), from Ancient Greek μάλαγμα (málagma, “emollient; malleable material”), from μαλάσσω (malássō, “to soften”), from μαλακός (malakós… The correct English form is amalgam, spelled A-M-A-L-G-A-M.
Definition
- 1An alloy containing mercury.
- 2A combination of different things.
- 3One of the ingredients in an alloy.
- 4An alloy of mercury used to fill tooth cavities.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin amalgama (“mercury alloy”), from Arabic اَلْمَلْغَم (al-malḡam, “emollient poultice or unguent for sores”), from Ancient Greek μάλαγμα (málagma, “emollient; malleable material”), from μαλάσσω (malássō, “to soften”), from μαλακός (malakós, “soft”). Doublet of malagma. For the verb, compare French amalgamer.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: aamlgam,amaglam,amalagm,amalgamm,amalggam,amalgma,amallgam,amlagam,ammalgam,maalgam
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of amalgam - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "amalgam"?
What does "amalgam" mean?
What are common misspellings of "amalgam"?
How do you pronounce "amalgam"?
What is the origin of the word "amalgam"?
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Using “amalgam”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-M-A-L-G-A-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /əˈmæl.ɡəm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English 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.