Manichaean
/ˌmænɪˈkiːən/
"manichaean" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“Manichaean” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A follower of Manichaeism.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | Manichaean |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌmænɪˈkiːən/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “Manichaean” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
Manichaean is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌmænɪˈkiːən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A follower of Manichaeism.".
Manichaean has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Manichaeus + -an. The correct English form is Manichaean, spelled M-A-N-I-C-H-A-E-A-N.
Definition
- 1A follower of Manichaeism.
Etymology
From Manichaeus + -an.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “Manichaean”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is M-A-N-I-C-H-A-E-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌmænɪˈkiːən/ (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.