mace

/meɪs/

//meɪs// noun

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

"mace" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mace” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,879 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#18,879
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A heavy fighting club.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mace vs ME
0% similar
mace vs MC
0% similar
mace vs may
50% similar

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

Key facts for mace
PropertyValue
Headwordmace
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/meɪs/
Letters4
Frequency rank#18,879
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mace” 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). mace 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 mace is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /meɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,879 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for mace, with forms such as "amce", "macce", and "maec". 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. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ME", "MC", "may", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mace, borrowed from Old French mace, mache, from Vulgar Latin *mattia, *mattea, matia, (compare Italian mazza, Spanish maza), probably from Proto-West Germanic *mattjō (“cutting tool, hoe”). The correct English form is mace, spelled M-A-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A heavy fighting club.
  2. 2
    A ceremonial form of this weapon.
  3. 3
    A long baton used by some drum majors to keep time and lead a marching band. If this baton is referred to as a mace, by convention it has a ceremonial often decorative head, which, if of metal, usually is hollow and sometimes intricately worked.
  4. 4
    An officer who carries a mace as a token of authority.
  5. 5
    A knobbed mallet used by curriers to make leather supple when dressing it.
  6. 6
    A billiard cue.

Etymology

From Middle English mace, borrowed from Old French mace, mache, from Vulgar Latin *mattia, *mattea, matia, (compare Italian mazza, Spanish maza), probably from Proto-West Germanic *mattjō (“cutting tool, hoe”).

This word in other languages

maza(Español)masse(Français)Streitkolben(Deutsch)maça(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amce,macce,maec,mcae,mmace

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mace - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

amce2macce1maec2mcae2mmace1
Edit distance from "mace"

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 "mace"?
"mace" is spelled M-A-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /meɪs/.
What does "mace" mean?
As a noun, "mace" means: A heavy fighting club.
What words are commonly confused with "mace"?
"mace" is commonly confused with "ME", "MC", "may". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mace"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mace" is /meɪs/. 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 "mace"?
From Middle English mace, borrowed from Old French mace, mache, from Vulgar Latin *mattia, *mattea, matia, (compare Italian mazza, Spanish maza), probably from Proto-West Germanic *mattjō (“cutting tool, hoe”). 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 “mace”

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

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