magnet

/ˈmæɡ.nɪt/

//ˈmæɡ.nɪt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“magnet” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,724 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#10,724
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A piece of material that attracts some metals by magnetism.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

magnet vs mane
67% similar
magnet vs Maine
50% similar
magnet vs Monet
50% similar

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

Key facts for magnet
PropertyValue
Headwordmagnet
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmæɡ.nɪt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#10,724
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “magnet” 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). magnet 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 magnet is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmæɡ.nɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,724 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 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for magnet, with forms such as "amgnet", "magent", and "maggnet". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "mane", "Maine", "Monet", 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 magnete, via Old French magnete, Latin magnēs, magnētem (“lodestone”), from Ancient Greek μαγνῆτις [λίθος] (magnêtis [líthos], “Magnesian [stone]”), either after the Lydian city Magnesia ad Sipylum (modern-day Manisa, Turkey), or after t… The correct English form is magnet, spelled M-A-G-N-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A piece of material that attracts some metals by magnetism.
  2. 2
    An alluring or attractive person or thing.
  3. 3
    Ellipsis of magnet link.

Etymology

From Middle English magnete, via Old French magnete, Latin magnēs, magnētem (“lodestone”), from Ancient Greek μαγνῆτις [λίθος] (magnêtis [líthos], “Magnesian [stone]”), either after the Lydian city Magnesia ad Sipylum (modern-day Manisa, Turkey), or after the Greek region of Μαγνησία (Magnēsía) (whence came the colonists who founded the city in Lydia). Related to manganese, magnesia and magnesium.

This word in other languages

imán(Español)aimant(Français)Magnet(Deutsch)íman(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amgnet,magent,maggnet,magnett,magnnet,magnte,manget,mganet,mmagnet

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amgnet2magent2maggnet1magnett1magnnet1magnte2manget2mganet2
Edit distance from "magnet"

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 "magnet"?
"magnet" is spelled M-A-G-N-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmæɡ.nɪt/.
What does "magnet" mean?
As a noun, "magnet" means: A piece of material that attracts some metals by magnetism.
What words are commonly confused with "magnet"?
"magnet" is commonly confused with "mane", "Maine", "Monet". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "magnet"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "magnet" is /ˈmæɡ.nɪt/. 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 "magnet"?
From Middle English magnete, via Old French magnete, Latin magnēs, magnētem (“lodestone”), from Ancient Greek μαγνῆτις [λίθος] (magnêtis [líthos], “Magnesian [stone]”), either after the Lydian city Magnesia ad Sipylum (modern-day Manisa, Turkey), ... 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 “magnet”

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

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