mar
/mɑɹ/verb, noun
mar is spelled M-A-R: 3 letters and one syllable. It appears 15 times per million words in written English, the 5,206th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, mar means “To spoil; to ruin; to scathe; to damage” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in mar?
| Letters | 3: M-A-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 15 times per million words; the 5,206th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is mar?
Mar appears 15 times per million words in written English, the 5,206th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce mar?
- UK /mɑː(ɹ)/
- US /mɑɹ/
- US [mɑɹ]
Mar has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-mar.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with mar
Also written: mere.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with mar?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as mar from its last stressed vowel (/ɑɹ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: arm, ram.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of mar
- mars present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- marring participle, present
- marred participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does mar mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To spoil; to ruin; to scathe; to damage.
noun
- 1
A blemish.
- 2
Alternative form of mere (“a body of standing water”).
noun
- 1
A title of respect in Syriac, given to all saints and also used before the Christian names of bishops.
noun
- 1
Initialism of modified aspect ratio.
adjective
- 1
Abbreviation of maroon (an eye color).
- 2
Initialism of missing at random.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Mar in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to spoil, to damage:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | entacher |
| German | verderben, stören, verunstalten, beeinträchtigen, versauen |
| Spanish | arruinar, dañar, perjudicar, estropear, empañar, marcar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does mar come from?
Inherited from Middle English merren, from Old English mierran (“to mar, disturb, confuse; scatter, squander, waste; upset, hinder, obstruct; err”), from Proto-Germanic *marzijaną (“to disturb, hinder”), from Proto-Indo-European *mers- (“to annoy, disturb, neglect, forget, ignore”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).