magma

/ˈmæɡ.mə/

//ˈmæɡ.mə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“magma” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,735 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#22,735
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A mixture of molten silicate rock, crystals, and gas within the earth, which may be erupted as lava or cool in place to form igneous intrusions.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

magma vs MMA
0% similar
magma vs MGM
0% similar
magma vs mam
60% similar

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

Key facts for magma
PropertyValue
Headwordmagma
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmæɡ.mə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#22,735
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “magma” 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). magma 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 magma is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmæɡ.mə/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,735 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 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 magma, with forms such as "amgma", "magam", and "maggma". 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, "MMA", "MGM", "mam", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mh₂ǵyéti Ancient Greek μάσσω (mássō) Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Ancient Greek -μα (-ma) Ancient Greek μάγμα (mágma)der. English magma From Ancient Greek μάγμα (mágma, “paste”). The correct English form is magma, spelled M-A-G-M-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A mixture of molten silicate rock, crystals, and gas within the earth, which may be erupted as lava or cool in place to form igneous intrusions.
  2. 2
    A basic algebraic structure consisting of a set equipped with a single binary operation.
  3. 3
    Any soft doughy mass.
  4. 4
    The residuum after expressing the juice from fruits.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mh₂ǵyéti Ancient Greek μάσσω (mássō) Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Ancient Greek -μα (-ma) Ancient Greek μάγμα (mágma)der. English magma From Ancient Greek μάγμα (mágma, “paste”).

This word in other languages

magma(Español)magma(Français)Magma(Deutsch)lava(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amgma,magam,maggma,magmma,mamga,mgama,mmagma

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amgma2magam2maggma1magmma1mamga2mgama2mmagma1
Edit distance from "magma"

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 "magma"?
"magma" is spelled M-A-G-M-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmæɡ.mə/.
What does "magma" mean?
As a noun, "magma" means: A mixture of molten silicate rock, crystals, and gas within the earth, which may be erupted as lava or cool in place to form igneous intrusions.
What words are commonly confused with "magma"?
"magma" is commonly confused with "MMA", "MGM", "mam". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "magma"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "magma" is /ˈmæɡ.mə/. 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 "magma"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mh₂ǵyéti Ancient Greek μάσσω (mássō) Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Ancient Greek -μα (-ma) Ancient Greek μάγμα (mágma)der. English magma From Ancient Greek μάγμα (mágma, “paste”). 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 “magma”

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

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