mailbox

/ˈmeɪl.bɑks/

//ˈmeɪl.bɑks// noun

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

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

The verdict

“mailbox” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,385. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,385
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A box into which mail is placed.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mailbox · mailbox · English

mailbox · rank #19,385 · 10 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #19,385
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH luncheon

Nearest frequency peer: luncheon (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “mailbox”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “mailbox” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for mailbox
PropertyValue
Headwordmailbox
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmeɪl.bɑks/
Letters7
Frequency rank#19,385
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mailbox”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).mailboxlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “luncheon” (#19,384), “mammal” (#19,386), “lousy” (#19,383). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mailbox” is #19,385. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around mailbox (IPA /ˈmeɪl.bɑks/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #19,385 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for mailbox, with forms such as "amilbox", "maiblox", and "mailbbox". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From mail + box. The correct English form is mailbox, spelled M-A-I-L-B-O-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    A box into which mail is placed.
  2. 2
    A box into which mail is placed.
  3. 3
    A folder or account for the storage of email; an electronic inbox or mailstore.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how mailbox appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. She waved back, placed a stack of envelopes in her mailbox, and lifted the red flag.

Etymology

From mail + box.

Synonyms

post boxpost-boxpostbox

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amilbox
  • maiblox
  • mailbbox
  • mailboxx
  • mailbxo
  • maillbox
  • mailobx
  • malibox
  • mialbox
  • mmailbox

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amilbox2maiblox2mailbbox1mailboxx1mailbxo2maillbox1mailobx2malibox2
Edit distance from "mailbox"

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 "mailbox"?
"mailbox" is spelled M-A-I-L-B-O-X. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmeɪl.bɑks/.
What does "mailbox" mean?
As a noun, "mailbox" means: A box into which mail is placed.
What are common misspellings of "mailbox"?
Common misspellings include "amilbox", "maiblox", "mailbbox", "mailboxx", "mailbxo". The correct spelling is "mailbox".
How do you pronounce "mailbox"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mailbox" is /ˈmeɪl.bɑks/. 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 "mailbox"?
From mail + box. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "mailbox", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

McGuire#19,387latency#19,380midterm#19,390midtown#19,391

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

nurture10 variantspaisley10 variantshooking10 variantspajamas10 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list