macho

/ˈmæt͡ʃ.əʊ/

//ˈmæt͡ʃ.əʊ// adj

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

The verdict

“macho” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,697. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,697
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - Masculine in an overly assertive or aggressive way. Very masculine.

Corpus desk

Index EN-macho · macho · English

macho · rank #20,697 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,697
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH maestro

Nearest frequency peer: maestro (+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 “macho”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “macho” 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).

macho vs mao
60% similar
macho vs mah
60% similar
macho vs much
60% similar

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

Key facts for macho
PropertyValue
Headwordmacho
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈmæt͡ʃ.əʊ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#20,697
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “macho” 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). macho 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 7 spelling variants around macho (IPA /ˈmæt͡ʃ.əʊ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #20,697 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Masculine in an overly assertive or aggressive way. Very masculine.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for macho, with forms such as "amcho", "maccho", and "machho". 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, "mao", "mah", "much", 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 Spanish macho (“male”), from Latin masculus. Doublet of male. The correct English form is macho, spelled M-A-C-H-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Masculine in an overly assertive or aggressive way. Very masculine.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. macho culture
  2. I like sports because I enjoy knowing that many of these macho athletes have to vomit before a big game. Any guy who would take a job where you gotta puke first is my kinda guy.

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish macho (“male”), from Latin masculus. Doublet of male.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amcho
  • maccho
  • machho
  • macoh
  • mahco
  • mcaho
  • mmacho

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amcho2maccho1machho1macoh2mahco2mcaho2mmacho1
Edit distance from "macho"

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 "macho"?
"macho" is spelled M-A-C-H-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmæt͡ʃ.əʊ/.
What does "macho" mean?
As an adjective, "macho" means: Masculine in an overly assertive or aggressive way. Very masculine.
What words are commonly confused with "macho"?
"macho" is commonly confused with "mao", "mah", "much". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "macho"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "macho" is /ˈmæt͡ʃ.əʊ/. 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 "macho"?
Borrowed from Spanish macho (“male”), from Latin masculus. Doublet of male. 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 "macho", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 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