email

/ˈiːmeɪl/

//ˈiːmeɪl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“email” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,107 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,107
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A system for sending messages and datas by means of a computer network, primarily the Internet, using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and the Internet Message Format.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

email vs evil
60% similar
email vs emit
60% similar
email vs Emil
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for email
PropertyValue
Headwordemail
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈiːmeɪl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,107
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “email” sits in English 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). email lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for email is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈiːmeɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,107 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for email, with forms such as "eamil", "emaill", and "emali". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "evil", "emit", "Emil", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is an abbreviation of electronic mail. First attested in the 1970s. The verb is derived from the noun, by analogy with mail (“to send through the mail”). The correct English form is email, spelled E-M-A-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A system for sending messages and datas by means of a computer network, primarily the Internet, using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and the Internet Message Format.
  2. 2
    The quantity of messages sent through an email system.
  3. 3
    A message being sent through email.
  4. 4
    An email address.

Etymology

The noun is an abbreviation of electronic mail. First attested in the 1970s. The verb is derived from the noun, by analogy with mail (“to send through the mail”).

This word in other languages

correo electrónico(Español)courrier électronique(Français)E-Mail(Deutsch)correio eletrónico(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eamil,emaill,emali,emial,emmail,meail

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of email - 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.

eamil2emaill1emali2emial2emmail1meail2
Edit distance from "email"

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 "email"?
"email" is spelled E-M-A-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈiːmeɪl/.
What does "email" mean?
As a noun, "email" means: A system for sending messages and datas by means of a computer network, primarily the Internet, using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and the Internet Message Format.
What words are commonly confused with "email"?
"email" is commonly confused with "evil", "emit", "Emil". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "email"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "email" is /ˈiːmeɪl/. 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 "email"?
The noun is an abbreviation of electronic mail. First attested in the 1970s. The verb is derived from the noun, by analogy with mail (“to send through the mail”). 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.

Using “email”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-M-A-I-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈiːmeɪl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “evil” - see the side-by-side comparison. email vs evil
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list