malleable

/ˈmæl.iː.ə.bəl/

//ˈmæl.iː.ə.bəl// adj

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

"malleable" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“malleable” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #36,236 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#36,236
frequency rank, English
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Able to be hammered into thin sheets; capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer, or by the pressure of rollers.

Key facts for malleable
PropertyValue
Headwordmalleable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈmæl.iː.ə.bəl/
Letters9
Frequency rank#36,236
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “malleable” 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). malleable lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for malleable is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmæl.iː.ə.bəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #36,236 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for malleable, with forms such as "amlleable", "maleable", and "malelable". 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, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French malléable, borrowed from Late Latin malleābilis, derived from Latin malleāre (“to hammer”), from malleus (“hammer”), from Proto-Indo-European *mal-ni- (“crushing”), an extended variant of *melh₂- (“crush, grind”). The correct English form is malleable, spelled M-A-L-L-E-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Able to be hammered into thin sheets; capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer, or by the pressure of rollers.
  2. 2
    Flexible, liable to change.
  3. 3
    in which an adversary can alter a ciphertext such that it decrypts to a related plaintext

Etymology

From Middle French malléable, borrowed from Late Latin malleābilis, derived from Latin malleāre (“to hammer”), from malleus (“hammer”), from Proto-Indo-European *mal-ni- (“crushing”), an extended variant of *melh₂- (“crush, grind”).

This word in other languages

maleable(Español)malléable(Français)hämmerbar(Deutsch)maleável(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amlleable,maleable,malelable,mallaeble,malleabble,malleabel,malleablle,mallealbe,mallebale,malleible,mlaleable,mmalleable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amlleable2maleable1malelable2mallaeble2malleabble1malleabel2malleablle1mallealbe2
Edit distance from "malleable"

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 "malleable"?
"malleable" is spelled M-A-L-L-E-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmæl.iː.ə.bəl/.
What does "malleable" mean?
As an adjective, "malleable" means: Able to be hammered into thin sheets; capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer, or by the pressure of rollers.
What are common misspellings of "malleable"?
Common misspellings include "amlleable", "maleable", "malelable", "mallaeble", "malleabble". The correct spelling is "malleable".
How do you pronounce "malleable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "malleable" is /ˈmæl.iː.ə.bəl/. 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 "malleable"?
From Middle French malléable, borrowed from Late Latin malleābilis, derived from Latin malleāre (“to hammer”), from malleus (“hammer”), from Proto-Indo-European *mal-ni- (“crushing”), an extended variant of *melh₂- (“crush, grind”). 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 “malleable”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-A-L-L-E-A-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmæl.iː.ə.bəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list