# mail

> English word · Noun · IPA /meɪl/ · frequency rank #1,952

## Definitions
1. A bag or wallet.
2. A bag containing letters to be delivered by post.
3. The (physical) material conveyed by the postal service.
4. The (physical) material conveyed by the postal service.
5. A stagecoach, train or ship that delivers such post.
6. The postal service or system in general.
7. Electronic mail, e-mail: a computer network–based service for sending, storing, and forwarding electronic messages.
8. Email messages conceived in bulk (as with the analogous sense of physical mail).
9. An email message.
10. A trunk, box, or bag, in which clothing, etc., may be carried.

## Etymology
From Middle English male, from Anglo-Norman male, Old French male (“bag, wallet”), from Frankish *malha (“bag”), from Proto-Germanic *malhō (“bag, pouch”), from Proto-Indo-European *molko- (“leather pouch”). Compare Dutch maal.

## Easily confused with
- **mi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-mi)
- **ML** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-ml)
- **may** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-may)
- **man** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-man)
- **map** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-map)
- **mix** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-mix)
- **max** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-max)
- **min** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-min)
- **mar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-mar)
- **MIA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-mia)
- **mat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-mat)
- **mic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-mic)
- **mel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-mel)
- **mil** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-mil)
- **mit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-mit)
- **mao** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-mao)
- **MRI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-mri)
- **mal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-mal)
- **Mei** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-mei)
- **mir** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mail-vs-mir)

## Common misspellings (4)
`amil`, `maill`, `mial`, `mmail`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mail