mallee

Name: mallee, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈmæli/

//ˈmæli// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“mallee” is uncommon English (frequency #72,518 among 36,575 “M” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#72,518
frequency rank, English: 36,575
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A type of scrubland with low-growing thick eucalypts, characteristic of certain parts of Australia.

Key facts for mallee
Property	Value
Headword	mallee
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈmæli/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#72,518
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mallee” 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). mallee lands here:

#72,518

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

Rare enough to double-check

mallee is uncommon English at frequency #72,518 among 36,575 “M” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmæli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for mallee, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Probably borrowed from Wemba-Wemba mali; compare Woiwurrung mali. The correct English form is mallee, spelled M-A-L-L-E-E.

Definition

1
A type of scrubland with low-growing thick eucalypts, characteristic of certain parts of Australia.
2
Any semi-desert region of Australia where such scrub is the predominant vegetation.
3
Any of several low-growing eucalypts characteristic of such scrubland, especially Eucalyptus dumosa, Eucalyptus oleosa, and Eucalyptus socialis.
4
The growth habit of certain eucalypt species that grow with multiple stems springing from an underground lignotuber, shared by species of related genera.

Etymology

Probably borrowed from Wemba-Wemba mali; compare Woiwurrung mali.

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 "mallee"?

"mallee" is spelled M-A-L-L-E-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmæli/.

What does "mallee" mean?

As a noun, "mallee" means: A type of scrubland with low-growing thick eucalypts, characteristic of certain parts of Australia.

How do you pronounce "mallee"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mallee" is /ˈmæli/. 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 "mallee"?

Probably borrowed from Wemba-Wemba mali; compare Woiwurrung mali. 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 “mallee”

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

The one correct English spelling is M-A-L-L-E-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈmæli/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.