maple

/ˈmeɪpəl/

//ˈmeɪpəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“maple” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,822. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,822
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A tree of the genus Acer, characterised by its usually palmate leaves and winged seeds.

Corpus desk

Index EN-maple · maple · English

maple · rank #8,822 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,822
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH Manuel

Nearest frequency peer: Manuel (-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 “maple”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “maple” 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).

maple vs mile
60% similar
maple vs mate
60% similar
maple vs maps
60% similar

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

Key facts for maple
PropertyValue
Headwordmaple
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmeɪpəl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#8,822
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “maple”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).maplelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Manuel” (#8,821), “mickey” (#8,823), “midfielder” (#8,824). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “maple” is #8,822. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around maple (IPA /ˈmeɪpəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #8,822 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for maple, with forms such as "malpe", "mapel", and "maplle". 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, "mile", "mate", "maps", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mapel, from Old English *mapul (attested in mapultrēow and mapulder), from Proto-West Germanic *mapul. See also Old Saxon mapulder, Old High German mazaltra, mazzaltra; also Old Norse mǫpurr, Middle Low German mapeldorn, dialectal Dutch … The correct English form is maple, spelled M-A-P-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A tree of the genus Acer, characterised by its usually palmate leaves and winged seeds.
  2. 2
    Wood of such a tree, valued for its hardness and attractive appearance.
  3. 3
    The flavor of such a tree's sap, or an imitation of that flavor.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. They have a large maple in their yard.
  2. This table is made of maple and also has some fruitwood inlays.

Etymology

From Middle English mapel, from Old English *mapul (attested in mapultrēow and mapulder), from Proto-West Germanic *mapul. See also Old Saxon mapulder, Old High German mazaltra, mazzaltra; also Old Norse mǫpurr, Middle Low German mapeldorn, dialectal Dutch meppel, German Masseller, Maßholder; also Old English mæsen (“maple”), Old Norse mǫsurr (“maple”), German Maser (“knob, offshoot”); also German Mase (“scar”), modern Maser (“speck, measle”). More at measles.

This word in other languages

arce(Español)érable(Français)Ahorn(Deutsch)bordo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • malpe
  • mapel
  • maplle
  • mapple
  • mmaple
  • mpale

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of maple - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

malpe2mapel2maplle1mapple1mmaple1mpale2
Edit distance from "maple"

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 "maple"?
"maple" is spelled M-A-P-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmeɪpəl/.
What does "maple" mean?
As a noun, "maple" means: A tree of the genus Acer, characterised by its usually palmate leaves and winged seeds.
What words are commonly confused with "maple"?
"maple" is commonly confused with "mile", "mate", "maps". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "maple"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "maple" is /ˈmeɪpəl/. 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 "maple"?
From Middle English mapel, from Old English *mapul (attested in mapultrēow and mapulder), from Proto-West Germanic *mapul. See also Old Saxon mapulder, Old High German mazaltra, mazzaltra; also Old Norse mǫpurr, Middle Low German mapeldorn, dialec... 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 "maple", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

jumps#8,810Joyce#8,807irony#8,805hardy#8,799

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

moms6 variantslads6 variantsrelay6 variantsrows6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list