machine

/məˈʃiːn/

//məˈʃiːn// noun

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

The verdict

“machine” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,346. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,346
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - A device that directs and controls energy, often in the form of movement or electricity, to produce a certain effect.

Corpus desk

Index EN-machine · machine · English

machine · rank #1,346 · 10 variants · 11 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,346
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 11 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH largest

Nearest frequency peer: largest (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “machine”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “machine” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

machine vs Maine
57% similar
machine vs marine
71% similar
machine vs Maxine
57% similar

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

Key facts for machine
PropertyValue
Headwordmachine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/məˈʃiːn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,346
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “machine” 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). machine lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around machine (IPA /məˈʃiːn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #1,346 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for machine, with forms such as "amchine", "macchine", and "machhine". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "Maine", "marine", "Maxine", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French machine, from Latin māchina (“a machine, engine, contrivance, device, stratagem, trick”), from Doric Greek μᾱχᾰνᾱ́ (mākhănā́), cognate with Attic Greek μηχᾰνή (mēkhănḗ, “a machine, engine, contrivance, device”), from which comes … The correct English form is machine, spelled M-A-C-H-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device that directs and controls energy, often in the form of movement or electricity, to produce a certain effect.
  2. 2
    A vehicle operated mechanically, such as an automobile or an airplane.
  3. 3
    An answering machine or, by extension, voice mail.
  4. 4
    A computer.
  5. 5
    A person or organisation that seemingly acts like a machine, being particularly efficient, single-minded, or unemotional.
  6. 6
    Especially, the group that controls a political or similar organization; a combination of persons acting together for a common purpose, with the agencies which they use.
  7. 7
    Supernatural agency in a poem, or a superhuman being introduced to perform some exploit.
  8. 8
    The system of special interest groups that supports a political party, especially in urban areas.
  9. 9
    Penis.
  10. 10
    A contrivance in the Ancient Greek theatre for indicating a change of scene, by means of which a god might cross the stage or deliver a divine message; the deus ex machina.
  11. 11
    A bathing machine.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. An artificial kidney these days still means a refrigerator-sized dialysis machine. Such devices mimic the way real kidneys cleanse blood and eject impurities and surplus water as urine.
  2. As he stood directly beneath a brilliant arc light, waiting for a limousine that was approaching to pass him, he heard his name called in a sweet feminine voice. Looking up, he met the smiling eyes of Olga de Coude as she leaned forward upon the back seat of the machine. He bowed very low in response to her friendly greeting. When he straightened up the m…

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French machine, from Latin māchina (“a machine, engine, contrivance, device, stratagem, trick”), from Doric Greek μᾱχᾰνᾱ́ (mākhănā́), cognate with Attic Greek μηχᾰνή (mēkhănḗ, “a machine, engine, contrivance, device”), from which comes mechanical. Displaced native Old English searu.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amchine
  • macchine
  • machhine
  • machien
  • machinne
  • machnie
  • macihne
  • mahcine
  • mcahine
  • mmachine

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of machine - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

amchine2macchine1machhine1machien2machinne1machnie2macihne2mahcine2
Edit distance from "machine"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "machine"?
"machine" is spelled M-A-C-H-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /məˈʃiːn/.
What does "machine" mean?
As a noun, "machine" means: A device that directs and controls energy, often in the form of movement or electricity, to produce a certain effect.
What words are commonly confused with "machine"?
"machine" is commonly confused with "Maine", "marine", "Maxine". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "machine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "machine" is /məˈʃiːn/. 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 "machine"?
Borrowed from Middle French machine, from Latin māchina (“a machine, engine, contrivance, device, stratagem, trick”), from Doric Greek μᾱχᾰνᾱ́ (mākhănā́), cognate with Attic Greek μηχᾰνή (mēkhănḗ, “a machine, engine, contrivance, device”), from wh... 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 "machine", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Similar misspelling depth

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

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