madge

/mæd͡ʒ/

//mæd͡ʒ// noun

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

The verdict

“madge” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #34,174 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#34,174
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The barn owl.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

madge vs mag
60% similar
madge vs make
60% similar
madge vs male
60% similar

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

Key facts for madge
PropertyValue
Headwordmadge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mæd͡ʒ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#34,174
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “madge” 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). madge lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for madge is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /mæd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #34,174 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for madge, with forms such as "amdge", "maddge", and "madeg". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "mag", "make", "male", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: See the etymology at magpie for a related discussion. The correct English form is madge, spelled M-A-D-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The barn owl.
  2. 2
    The magpie.

Etymology

See the etymology at magpie for a related discussion.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amdge,maddge,madeg,madgge,magde,mdage,mmadge

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amdge2maddge1madeg2madgge1magde2mdage2mmadge1
Edit distance from "madge"

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 "madge"?
"madge" is spelled M-A-D-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /mæd͡ʒ/.
What does "madge" mean?
As a noun, "madge" means: The barn owl.
What words are commonly confused with "madge"?
"madge" is commonly confused with "mag", "make", "male". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "madge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "madge" is /mæd͡ʒ/. 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 "madge"?
See the etymology at magpie for a related discussion. 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.

Using “madge”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is M-A-D-G-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /mæd͡ʒ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “mag” - see the side-by-side comparison. madge vs mag
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list