mahjong

/mɑːˈd͡ʒɒŋ/

//mɑːˈd͡ʒɒŋ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“mahjong” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #45,501. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#45,501
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A game (originally Chinese) for four players, using a collection of tiles divided into five or six suits.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mahjong vs Mahon
57% similar

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

Key facts for mahjong
PropertyValue
Headwordmahjong
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mɑːˈd͡ʒɒŋ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#45,501
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mahjong” 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). mahjong lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around mahjong (IPA /mɑːˈd͡ʒɒŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #45,501 among 36,575 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for mahjong, with forms such as "amhjong", "mahhjong", and "mahjjong". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Mahon", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Mandarin 麻將／麻将 (májiàng), derived from 麻雀 (máquè, “sparrow”) with a Wu diminutive suffix 兒／儿 /ŋ̍/. The correct English form is mahjong, spelled M-A-H-J-O-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A game (originally Chinese) for four players, using a collection of tiles divided into five or six suits.
  2. 2
    A solitaire game using the same tiles, where the player wins by removing pairs of matching exposed tiles until none remain.

Etymology

From Mandarin 麻將／麻将 (májiàng), derived from 麻雀 (máquè, “sparrow”) with a Wu diminutive suffix 兒／儿 /ŋ̍/.

Synonyms

mahjong solitaire

This word in other languages

mahjong(Español)mah-jong(Français)Mah-Jongg(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amhjong
  • mahhjong
  • mahjjong
  • mahjnog
  • mahjogn
  • mahjongg
  • mahjonng
  • mahojng
  • majhong
  • mhajong
  • mmahjong

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mahjong - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

amhjong2mahhjong1mahjjong1mahjnog2mahjogn2mahjongg1mahjonng1mahojng2
Edit distance from "mahjong"

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 "mahjong"?
"mahjong" is spelled M-A-H-J-O-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /mɑːˈd͡ʒɒŋ/.
What does "mahjong" mean?
As a noun, "mahjong" means: A game (originally Chinese) for four players, using a collection of tiles divided into five or six suits.
What words are commonly confused with "mahjong"?
"mahjong" is commonly confused with "Mahon". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mahjong"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mahjong" is /mɑːˈd͡ʒɒŋ/. 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 "mahjong"?
From Mandarin 麻將／麻将 (májiàng), derived from 麻雀 (máquè, “sparrow”) with a Wu diminutive suffix 兒／儿 /ŋ̍/. 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 “mahjong”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-A-H-J-O-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /mɑːˈd͡ʒɒŋ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Mahon” - see the side-by-side comparison. mahjong vs Mahon
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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