Macleod
/məˈklaʊd/
"macleod" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“Macleod” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,146 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.
- #22,146
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
- 3
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A surname from Irish, A surname from Scottish Gaelic, A surname from Cree
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | Macleod |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Proper noun |
| IPA | /məˈklaʊd/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #22,146 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 3 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “Macleod” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for Macleod is 7 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /məˈklaʊd/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,146 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for Macleod, with forms such as "amcleod", "maccleod", and "macelod". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "mailed", "McLeod", "Maclean", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: Anglicization of various Irish or Scottish Gaelic surnames. In Canada, the surname is also used as a common Anglicization of Cree ᒪᐦᑭᔪᐠ (mahkiyok, “the big one”) according to records of Scottish missionaries. * (town in Alberta): see entry for Fort Macleod. The correct English form is Macleod, spelled M-A-C-L-E-O-D.
Definition
- 1A surname from Irish, A surname from Scottish Gaelic, A surname from Cree
- 2A town in Alberta, Canada; modern Fort Macleod.
- 3A suburb of Melbourne in the City of Banyule and the City of Darebin, Victoria, Australia
Etymology
Anglicization of various Irish or Scottish Gaelic surnames. In Canada, the surname is also used as a common Anglicization of Cree ᒪᐦᑭᔪᐠ (mahkiyok, “the big one”) according to records of Scottish missionaries. * (town in Alberta): see entry for Fort Macleod.
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: amcleod,maccleod,macelod,macledo,macleodd,maclleod,macloed,malceod,mcaleod,mmacleod
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Macleod - 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.
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 "Macleod"?
What does "Macleod" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "Macleod"?
How do you pronounce "Macleod"?
What is the origin of the word "Macleod"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “Macleod”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is M-A-C-L-E-O-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /məˈklaʊd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “mailed” - see the side-by-side comparison. Macleod vs mailed
- 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.