mackerel

/ˈmæk(ə)ɹəl/

//ˈmæk(ə)ɹəl// noun

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

"mackerel" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mackerel” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,154. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,154
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Certain smaller edible fish, principally true mackerel and Spanish mackerel in family Scombridae, often speckled,

Corpus desk

Index EN-mackerel · mackerel · English

mackerel · rank #26,154 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,154
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH marge

Nearest frequency peer: marge (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “mackerel”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “mackerel” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for mackerel
PropertyValue
Headwordmackerel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmæk(ə)ɹəl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#26,154
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mackerel”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “marge” (#26,155), “Macedonian” (#26,152), “Marquette” (#26,156). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mackerel” is #26,154. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around mackerel (IPA /ˈmæk(ə)ɹəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #26,154 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for mackerel, with forms such as "amckerel", "macckerel", and "macekrel". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mackerell, macrell, macrelle, makarell, makerel, makerell, makerelle, makrel, makrell, makyrelle, from Old French maquerel. Further origin unknown. The correct English form is mackerel, spelled M-A-C-K-E-R-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Certain smaller edible fish, principally true mackerel and Spanish mackerel in family Scombridae, often speckled,
  2. 2
    Certain smaller edible fish, principally true mackerel and Spanish mackerel in family Scombridae, often speckled,
  3. 3
    A true mackerel, any fish of tribe Scombrini (Scomber spp., Rastrelliger spp.)
  4. 4
    Certain other similar small fish in families Carangidae, Gempylidae, and Hexagrammidae.
  5. 5
    A regular pattern, similar to fish scales, of undulating small clouds with sky visible between them.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] you may buy land now as cheap as stinking mackerel.
  2. I am living fast, to see the Time, when a Book that misses its Tide, shall be neglected, as the Moon by Day, or like Mackarel a Week after the Season.

Etymology

From Middle English mackerell, macrell, macrelle, makarell, makerel, makerell, makerelle, makrel, makrell, makyrelle, from Old French maquerel. Further origin unknown.

This word in other languages

caballa(Español)maquereau(Français)Makrele(Deutsch)cavala(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amckerel
  • macckerel
  • macekrel
  • mackeerl
  • mackerell
  • mackerle
  • mackerrel
  • mackkerel
  • mackreel
  • makcerel
  • mcakerel
  • mmackerel

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amckerel2macckerel1macekrel2mackeerl2mackerell1mackerle2mackerrel1mackkerel1
Edit distance from "mackerel"

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 "mackerel"?
"mackerel" is spelled M-A-C-K-E-R-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmæk(ə)ɹəl/.
What does "mackerel" mean?
As a noun, "mackerel" means: Certain smaller edible fish, principally true mackerel and Spanish mackerel in family Scombridae, often speckled,
What are common misspellings of "mackerel"?
Common misspellings include "amckerel", "macckerel", "macekrel", "mackeerl", "mackerell". The correct spelling is "mackerel".
How do you pronounce "mackerel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mackerel" is /ˈmæk(ə)ɹəl/. 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 "mackerel"?
From Middle English mackerell, macrell, macrelle, makarell, makerel, makerell, makerelle, makrel, makrell, makyrelle, from Old French maquerel. Further origin unknown. 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 "mackerel", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Lockwood#26,149Mayfield#26,160Montague#26,171irritate#26,132

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

importer12 variantshumiliate12 variantsGuernsey12 variantsprocured12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list