make

/meɪk/

//meɪk// verb

"make" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“make” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #87. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#87
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To create.

Corpus desk

Index EN-make · make · English

make · rank #87 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #87
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 36,575
  • PHOTO-FINISH two

Nearest frequency peer: two (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “make”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “make” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

make vs ME
0% similar
make vs MK
0% similar
make vs may
50% similar

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

Key facts for make
PropertyValue
Headwordmake
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/meɪk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#87
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “make” 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). make 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 5 spelling variants around make (IPA /meɪk/), averb. Corpus frequency is #87 among 36,575 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 41 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for make, with forms such as "amke", "maek", and "makke". 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, "ME", "MK", "may", 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 maken, from Old English macian (“to make, build, work”), from Proto-West Germanic *makōn (“to make, build, work”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ǵ- (“to knead, mix, make”). Related to match. Cognates * Scots mak (“to make”) * Saterland F… The correct English form is make, spelled M-A-K-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To create.
  2. 2
    To create.
  3. 3
    To create.
  4. 4
    To create.
  5. 5
    To create.
  6. 6
    To behave, to act.
  7. 7
    To tend; to contribute; to have effect; with for or against.
  8. 8
    To constitute.
  9. 9
    To add up to, have a sum of.
  10. 10
    To interpret.
  11. 11
    To bring into success.
  12. 12
    To cause to be.
  13. 13
    To cause to appear to be; to represent as.
  14. 14
    To cause (to do something); to compel (to do something).
  15. 15
    To force to do.
  16. 16
    To indicate or suggest to be.
  17. 17
    To cover neatly with bedclothes.
  18. 18
    To recognise, identify, spot.
  19. 19
    To arrive at a destination, usually at or by a certain time.
  20. 20
    To proceed (in a direction).
  21. 21
    To cover (a given distance) by travelling.
  22. 22
    To move at (a speed).
  23. 23
    To appoint; to name.
  24. 24
    To induct into the Mafia or a similar organization (as a made man).
  25. 25
    To defecate or urinate.
  26. 26
    To earn, to gain (money, points, membership or status).
  27. 27
    To pay, to cover (an expense); chiefly used after expressions of inability.
  28. 28
    To compose verses; to write poetry; to versify.
  29. 29
    To enact; to establish.
  30. 30
    To develop into; to prove to be.
  31. 31
    To form or formulate in the mind.
  32. 32
    To perform a feat.
  33. 33
    To gain sufficient audience to warrant its existence.
  34. 34
    To act in a certain manner; to have to do; to manage; to interfere; to be active; often in the phrase to meddle or make.
  35. 35
    To increase; to augment; to accrue.
  36. 36
    To be engaged or concerned in.
  37. 37
    To cause to be (in a specified place), used after a subjective what.
  38. 38
    To take the virginity of.
  39. 39
    To have sexual intercourse with.
  40. 40
    Of water, to flow toward land; to rise.
  41. 41
    To establish two or more men on (a point) so that it cannot be captured.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We made a bird feeder for our yard.
  2. I'll make a man out of him yet.

Etymology

From Middle English maken, from Old English macian (“to make, build, work”), from Proto-West Germanic *makōn (“to make, build, work”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ǵ- (“to knead, mix, make”). Related to match. Cognates * Scots mak (“to make”) * Saterland Frisian moakje (“to make”) * West Frisian meitsje (“to make”) * Dutch maken (“to make”) * Dutch Low Saxon maken (“to make”) * German Low German maken (“to make”) * German machen (“to make, do”) * Danish mage (“to make, arrange (in a certain way)”) * Latin mācerō, macer * Ancient Greek μάσσω (mássō)

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amke
  • maek
  • makke
  • mkae
  • mmake

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amke2maek2makke1mkae2mmake1
Edit distance from "make"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "make"?
"make" is spelled M-A-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /meɪk/.
What does "make" mean?
As a verb, "make" means: To create.
What words are commonly confused with "make"?
"make" is commonly confused with "ME", "MK", "may". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "make"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "make" is /meɪk/. 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 "make"?
From Middle English maken, from Old English macian (“to make, build, work”), from Proto-West Germanic *makōn (“to make, build, work”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ǵ- (“to knead, mix, make”). Related to match. Cognates * Scots mak (“to make”) * S... 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 "make", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

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

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