mambo

/ˈmæmbəʊ/

//ˈmæmbəʊ// noun

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

"mambo" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mambo” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #38,033. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#38,033
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A voodoo priestess (in Haiti)

Corpus desk

Index EN-mambo · mambo · English

mambo · rank #38,033 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #38,033
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH malkin

Nearest frequency peer: malkin (-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 “mambo”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “mambo” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mambo vs mao
60% similar
mambo vs MMO
0% similar
mambo vs memo
60% similar

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

Key facts for mambo
PropertyValue
Headwordmambo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmæmbəʊ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#38,033
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mambo”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “malkin” (#38,032), “mandala” (#38,034), “Malek” (#38,031). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mambo” is #38,033. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around mambo (IPA /ˈmæmbəʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #38,033 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for mambo, with forms such as "ammbo", "mabmo", and "mambbo". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "mao", "MMO", "memo", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Haitian Creole manbo (“voodoo priestess”) (ultimately from Yoruba mambo (“to talk”)), in later senses via Cuban Spanish mambo (“dance”). The correct English form is mambo, spelled M-A-M-B-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A voodoo priestess (in Haiti)
  2. 2
    A Latin-American musical genre, adapted from rumba, originating from Cuba in the 1940s, or a dance or rhythm of this genre.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The mambo next presented a container of water to the cardinal points, then poured libations to the centerpost of the peristyle, the axis along which the spirits were to enter.
  2. The manbo showed her how to take small handfuls of liquid and spread it on her skin always moving in the upward direction.

Etymology

From Haitian Creole manbo (“voodoo priestess”) (ultimately from Yoruba mambo (“to talk”)), in later senses via Cuban Spanish mambo (“dance”).

This word in other languages

mambo(Español)mambo(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ammbo
  • mabmo
  • mambbo
  • mammbo
  • mamob
  • mmabo
  • mmambo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ammbo2mabmo2mambbo1mammbo1mamob2mmabo2mmambo1
Edit distance from "mambo"

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 "mambo"?
"mambo" is spelled M-A-M-B-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmæmbəʊ/.
What does "mambo" mean?
As a noun, "mambo" means: A voodoo priestess (in Haiti)
What words are commonly confused with "mambo"?
"mambo" is commonly confused with "mao", "MMO", "memo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mambo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mambo" is /ˈmæmbəʊ/. 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 "mambo"?
From Haitian Creole manbo (“voodoo priestess”) (ultimately from Yoruba mambo (“to talk”)), in later senses via Cuban Spanish mambo (“dance”). 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 "mambo", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Malek#38,031loony#38,025merci#38,047lapis#38,012

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

maggot7 variantslipped7 variantsmissus7 variantsmoped7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list