mankind

/mænˈkaɪnd/

//mænˈkaɪnd// noun

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

"mankind" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mankind” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,573 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,573
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The human race in its entirety.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mankind vs marking
71% similar
mankind vs masking
71% similar
mankind vs making
71% similar

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

Key facts for mankind
PropertyValue
Headwordmankind
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mænˈkaɪnd/
Letters7
Frequency rank#8,573
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mankind” 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). mankind 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 mankind is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /mænˈkaɪnd/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,573 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for mankind, with forms such as "amnkind", "maknind", and "maniknd". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "marking", "masking", "making", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mankynde, alteration (due to kynde = “kind, nature, sort”) of earlier mankyn, from Old English mancynn. Equivalent to man + kin, and/or man + -kind. Cognate with Scots mankind, Middle High German mankünne, Danish mandkøn, Icelandic mannk… The correct English form is mankind, spelled M-A-N-K-I-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    The human race in its entirety.
  2. 2
    Men collectively, as opposed to all women.
  3. 3
    Human feelings; humanity.

Etymology

From Middle English mankynde, alteration (due to kynde = “kind, nature, sort”) of earlier mankyn, from Old English mancynn. Equivalent to man + kin, and/or man + -kind. Cognate with Scots mankind, Middle High German mankünne, Danish mandkøn, Icelandic mannkyn (“mankind”). See also mankin.

Synonyms

humankind

Antonyms

womankindwomenkind

This word in other languages

humanidad(Español)humanité(Français)Menschheit(Deutsch)humanidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amnkind,maknind,maniknd,mankidn,mankindd,mankinnd,mankkind,manknid,mannkind,mmankind,mnakind

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amnkind2maknind2maniknd2mankidn2mankindd1mankinnd1mankkind1manknid2
Edit distance from "mankind"

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 "mankind"?
"mankind" is spelled M-A-N-K-I-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /mænˈkaɪnd/.
What does "mankind" mean?
As a noun, "mankind" means: The human race in its entirety.
What words are commonly confused with "mankind"?
"mankind" is commonly confused with "marking", "masking", "making". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mankind"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mankind" is /mænˈkaɪnd/. 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 "mankind"?
From Middle English mankynde, alteration (due to kynde = “kind, nature, sort”) of earlier mankyn, from Old English mancynn. Equivalent to man + kin, and/or man + -kind. Cognate with Scots mankind, Middle High German mankünne, Danish mandkøn, Icela... 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 “mankind”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-A-N-K-I-N-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /mænˈkaɪnd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “marking” - see the side-by-side comparison. mankind vs marking
  • 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