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make

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

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Letters

4 characters

Language

English

word origin

Source

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "make", 4-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "make" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "make" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

make is aEnglishverb. It means: To create. Pronounced /meɪk/. It ranks #87 in English word frequency. Often confused with ME and MK.

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

Frequency rank visualization

Position of make in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for make is 4 letters long, classified as averb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /meɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #87 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language.Wiktionary records 41 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 5 documented wrong-spelling variants for make, with forms such as "amke", "maek", and "makke". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ME", "MK", "may", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

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… Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is make, spelled M-A-K-E, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

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.

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

Spanish(Español)Portuguese(Português)French(Français)German(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amke,maek,makke,mkae,mmake

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for make

Misspelling Variants of "make"

amke4maek4makke5mkae4mmake5
Misspelling Variants of "make"

Frequency rank: #87 in English

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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter M in our English index:

All "M" wordsABCDEFGHIJKL

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.