amuck

/əˈmʌk/

//əˈmʌk// adv

"amuck" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“amuck” is uncommon English (frequency #89,101 among 3,931 “A” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#89,101
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Alternative form of amok.

Corpus desk

Index EN-amuck · amuck · English

amuck · rank #89,101 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #89,101
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH amaru

Nearest frequency peer: amaru (-2 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.

Long-tail ranks near “amuck”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “amuck” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for amuck
PropertyValue
Headwordamuck
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/əˈmʌk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#89,101
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “amuck” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).amuckfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “amaru” (#89,099), “apposite” (#89,106), “almshouse” (#89,095). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “amuck” is #89,101. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

amuck is uncommon English at frequency #89,101 among 3,931 “A” headwords, classed as anadverb, transcribed /əˈmʌk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Alternative form of amok.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for amuck, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is amuck, spelled A-M-U-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    Alternative form of amok.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. when, like the inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula, they ran amuck, and made it their habit to destroy life[…]

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 "amuck"?
"amuck" is spelled A-M-U-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈmʌk/.
What does "amuck" mean?
As an adverb, "amuck" means: Alternative form of amok.
How do you pronounce "amuck"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "amuck" is /əˈmʌk/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "amuck" come from?
"amuck" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 "amuck", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list