amalgam

/əˈmæl.ɡəm/

//əˈmæl.ɡəm// noun

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

"amalgam" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“amalgam” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,773. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,773
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An alloy containing mercury.

Corpus desk

Index EN-amalgam · amalgam · English

amalgam · rank #34,773 · 10 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #34,773
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH ambulatory

Nearest frequency peer: ambulatory (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “amalgam”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “amalgam” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for amalgam
PropertyValue
Headwordamalgam
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈmæl.ɡəm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#34,773
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “amalgam”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).amalgamlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “ambulatory” (#34,774), “airplay” (#34,771), “annulment” (#34,775). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “amalgam” is #34,773. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around amalgam (IPA /əˈmæl.ɡəm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,773 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

  1. 1
    An alloy containing mercury.
  2. 2
    A combination of different things.
  3. 3
    One of the ingredients in an alloy.
  4. 4
    An alloy of mercury used to fill tooth cavities.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] nor must we overlook, in quite recent times, the ingenious "Dukedog", a little 4-4-0 (officially 90XX class) whose Victorian lineaments arise from an economical amalgam of obsolete "Duke" and "Bulldog" components.
  2. This was the Ambergate, Nottingham & Boston & Eastern Junction Railway, an amalgam of a number of separate schemes put forward in 1845, which secured its Act on July 16, 1846.

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.

Synonyms

alloyblendcombocompoundconglomeratemixture

This word in other languages

amalgama(Español)amalgame(Français)Amalgam(Deutsch)

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.

aamlgam2amaglam2amalagm2amalgamm1amalggam1amalgma2amallgam1amlagam2
Edit distance from "amalgam"

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"?
"amalgam" is spelled A-M-A-L-G-A-M. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈmæl.ɡəm/.
What does "amalgam" mean?
As a noun, "amalgam" means: An alloy containing mercury.
What are common misspellings of "amalgam"?
Common misspellings include "aamlgam", "amaglam", "amalagm", "amalgamm", "amalggam". The correct spelling is "amalgam".
How do you pronounce "amalgam"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "amalgam" is /əˈmæl.ɡəm/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "amalgam"?
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 μαλακό... See the full etymology section above for more details.
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 English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

airplay#34,771Aramaic#34,777Ziegler#34,759Zambian#34,758

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

benzene10 variantsbuttered10 variantscadmium10 variantsCallaway10 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list