mandrake

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

/ˈmændɹeɪk/

//ˈmændɹeɪk// noun

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

The verdict

“mandrake” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #47,743. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#47,743
frequency rank, English: 36,575
“M” headwords: 12
tracked misspellings: 1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any plant of the genus Mandragora, certain of which are said to have medicinal or aphrodisiac properties; the root of these plants often resembles the shape of a small person, hence occasioning var...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mandrake vs mandate

75% similar

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

Key facts for mandrake
Property	Value
Headword	mandrake
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈmændɹeɪk/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#47,743
Misspellings tracked	12
Confusable pairs	1
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mandrake” 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). mandrake lands here:

#47,743

#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 12 spelling variants around mandrake (IPA /ˈmændɹeɪk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #47,743 among 36,575 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for mandrake, with forms such as "amndrake", "madnrake", and "mandarke". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "mandate", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mandrake, mandroke, an alteration of mandragora with the ending -dragora reinterpreted as related to dragon and replaced with native drake, from Old English mandragora, from Medieval Latin mandragorās, from Ancient Greek μανδραγόρας (man… The correct English form is mandrake, spelled M-A-N-D-R-A-K-E.

Definition

1
Any plant of the genus Mandragora, certain of which are said to have medicinal or aphrodisiac properties; the root of these plants often resembles the shape of a small person, hence occasioning various mythic, magical, or occult uses.
2
A root of a mandrake plant that resembled human form, especially one kept or used for magic or occult purposes.
3
The drug methaqualone.
4
A kind of tiny demon immune to fire.

Etymology

From Middle English mandrake, mandroke, an alteration of mandragora with the ending -dragora reinterpreted as related to dragon and replaced with native drake, from Old English mandragora, from Medieval Latin mandragorās, from Ancient Greek μανδραγόρας (mandragóras).

This word in other languages

mandrágora(Español)mandragore(Français)Alraune(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

amndrake
madnrake
mandarke
manddrake
mandraek
mandrakke
mandrkae
mandrrake
manndrake
manrdake
mmandrake
mnadrake

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "mandrake"

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 "mandrake"?

"mandrake" is spelled M-A-N-D-R-A-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmændɹeɪk/.

What does "mandrake" mean?

As a noun, "mandrake" means: Any plant of the genus Mandragora, certain of which are said to have medicinal or aphrodisiac properties; the root of these plants often resembles the shape of a small person, hence occasioning var...

What words are commonly confused with "mandrake"?

"mandrake" is commonly confused with "mandate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "mandrake"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mandrake" is /ˈmændɹeɪk/. 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 "mandrake"?

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 “mandrake”

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

The one correct English spelling is M-A-N-D-R-A-K-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈmændɹeɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “mandate” - see the side-by-side comparison. mandrake vs mandate
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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.