madder

/ˈmæd.ə(ɹ)/

//ˈmæd.ə(ɹ)// noun

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

"madder" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“madder” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #47,738. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#47,738
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A herbaceous plant, Rubia tinctorum, native to Asia, cultivated for a red-purple dye (alizarin) obtained from the root.

Corpus desk

Index EN-madder · madder · English

madder · rank #47,738 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #47,738
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH lunged

Nearest frequency peer: lunged (-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 “madder”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “madder” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

madder vs made
67% similar
madder vs maker
67% similar
madder vs Mayer
50% similar

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

Key facts for madder
PropertyValue
Headwordmadder
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmæd.ə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#47,738
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “madder”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).madderlands 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 “lunged” (#47,737), “lum” (#47,736), “malign” (#47,740). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “madder” is #47,738. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around madder (IPA /ˈmæd.ə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #47,738 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for madder, with forms such as "amdder", "madderr", and "maddre". 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, "made", "maker", "Mayer", 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 mader, madere, mædere, from Old English mædere, mæddre, mædre, from Proto-Germanic *madarǭ (compare Swedish måra, Old Norse / Icelandic maðra), from Proto-Indo-European *modʰro-, cognate with Proto-Slavic *modrъ (“blue”), and compare Iri… The correct English form is madder, spelled M-A-D-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A herbaceous plant, Rubia tinctorum, native to Asia, cultivated for a red-purple dye (alizarin) obtained from the root.
  2. 2
    The root of the plant, used as a medicine or a dye.
  3. 3
    A dye made from the plant.
  4. 4
    A deep reddish colour, like that of the dye.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Madder (Rubia tinctorum). — This plant has a perennial root and an annual stalk. It is cultivated for the roots, which, after being dried and ground, are employed in considerable quantities in dying a fine red colour, and, likewise, as a first tint for several other shades. It is principally cultivated in Holland, the province of Zealand being almost enti…
  2. Their armour was stained with madder, in such wise that they seemed bathed in blood.

Etymology

From Middle English mader, madere, mædere, from Old English mædere, mæddre, mædre, from Proto-Germanic *madarǭ (compare Swedish måra, Old Norse / Icelandic maðra), from Proto-Indo-European *modʰro-, cognate with Proto-Slavic *modrъ (“blue”), and compare Irish madar (“madder”), Latvian madara (“madder”).

Synonyms

common madderdyer's madder

This word in other languages

garance(Français)Krapp(Deutsch)ruiva(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amdder
  • madderr
  • maddre
  • madedr
  • mader
  • mdader
  • mmadder

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amdder2madderr1maddre2madedr2mader1mdader2mmadder1
Edit distance from "madder"

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 "madder"?
"madder" is spelled M-A-D-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmæd.ə(ɹ)/.
What does "madder" mean?
As a noun, "madder" means: A herbaceous plant, Rubia tinctorum, native to Asia, cultivated for a red-purple dye (alizarin) obtained from the root.
What words are commonly confused with "madder"?
"madder" is commonly confused with "made", "maker", "Mayer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "madder"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "madder" is /ˈmæd.ə(ɹ)/. 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 "madder"?
From Middle English mader, madere, mædere, from Old English mædere, mæddre, mædre, from Proto-Germanic *madarǭ (compare Swedish måra, Old Norse / Icelandic maðra), from Proto-Indo-European *modʰro-, cognate with Proto-Slavic *modrъ (“blue”), and c... 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 "madder", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

lunged#47,737malign#47,740marque#47,747legume#47,727

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

locum7 variantsJohor7 variantsmucho7 variantsiodide7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list