Madurai

/ˈmʌðʊraɪ/

//ˈmʌðʊraɪ// name

"madurai" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Madurai” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #49,477 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#49,477
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A district of Tamil Nadu, India.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Madurai vs Maura
71% similar
Madurai vs maduro
57% similar
Madurai vs Madras
71% similar

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

Key facts for Madurai
PropertyValue
HeadwordMadurai
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈmʌðʊraɪ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#49,477
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Madurai” 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). Madurai 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 Madurai is 7 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmʌðʊraɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #49,477 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 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for Madurai, with forms such as "amdurai", "maddurai", and "madruai". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "Maura", "maduro", "Madras", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Tamil மதுரை (maturai), from Old Tamil 𑀫𑀢𑀼𑀭𑁃 (maturai). The correct English form is Madurai, spelled M-A-D-U-R-A-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    A district of Tamil Nadu, India.
  2. 2
    A city, the headquarters of Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, India, also the cultural capital of the state.

Etymology

Borrowed from Tamil மதுரை (maturai), from Old Tamil 𑀫𑀢𑀼𑀭𑁃 (maturai).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amdurai,maddurai,madruai,maduari,maduria,madurrai,maudrai,mdaurai,mmadurai

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amdurai2maddurai1madruai2maduari2maduria2madurrai1maudrai2mdaurai2
Edit distance from "Madurai"

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 "Madurai"?
"Madurai" is spelled M-A-D-U-R-A-I. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmʌðʊraɪ/.
What does "Madurai" mean?
As a proper noun, "Madurai" means: A district of Tamil Nadu, India.
What words are commonly confused with "Madurai"?
"Madurai" is commonly confused with "Maura", "maduro", "Madras". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Madurai"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Madurai" is /ˈmʌðʊraɪ/. 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 "Madurai"?
Borrowed from Tamil மதுரை (maturai), from Old Tamil 𑀫𑀢𑀼𑀭𑁃 (maturai). 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 “Madurai”

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

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