marvel

/ˈmɑɹvl̩/

//ˈmɑɹvl̩// noun

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

"marvel" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“marvel” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,521. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,521
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - That which causes wonder; a prodigy; a portent.

Corpus desk

Index EN-marvel · marvel · English

marvel · rank #5,521 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,521
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH marathon

Nearest frequency peer: marathon (-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 “marvel”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “marvel” 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).

marvel vs maven
67% similar
marvel vs mauve
67% similar
marvel vs morel
67% similar

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

Key facts for marvel
PropertyValue
Headwordmarvel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɑɹvl̩/
Letters6
Frequency rank#5,521
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “marvel”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).marvellands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “marathon” (#5,520), “Michelle” (#5,522), “Manhattan” (#5,519). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “marvel” is #5,521. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around marvel (IPA /ˈmɑɹvl̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,521 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for marvel, with forms such as "amrvel", "marevl", and "marrvel". 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, "maven", "mauve", "morel", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested from 1300, from Middle English merveile, from Old French merveille (“a wonder”), from Vulgar Latin *miribilia, from Latin mīrābilia (“wonderful things”), from neuter plural of mīrābilis (“strange, wonderful”), from mīror (“I wonder at”), from… The correct English form is marvel, spelled M-A-R-V-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    That which causes wonder; a prodigy; a portent.
  2. 2
    Wonder, astonishment.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The mysteries of this wonderful universe rise more palpable upon the departing spirit, so soon to mingle with their marvels.
  2. He found ways to film fiery, elaborate car-wrecks, keeping everything visually clear and beautiful without killing or even seriously injuring anyone. On a sheer technical level, the movie is a marvel.

Etymology

First attested from 1300, from Middle English merveile, from Old French merveille (“a wonder”), from Vulgar Latin *miribilia, from Latin mīrābilia (“wonderful things”), from neuter plural of mīrābilis (“strange, wonderful”), from mīror (“I wonder at”), from mīrus (“wonderful”). Doublet of mirabilia.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amrvel
  • marevl
  • marrvel
  • marvell
  • marvle
  • marvvel
  • mavrel
  • mmarvel
  • mravel

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amrvel2marevl2marrvel1marvell1marvle2marvvel1mavrel2mmarvel1
Edit distance from "marvel"

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 "marvel"?
"marvel" is spelled M-A-R-V-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɑɹvl̩/.
What does "marvel" mean?
As a noun, "marvel" means: That which causes wonder; a prodigy; a portent.
What words are commonly confused with "marvel"?
"marvel" is commonly confused with "maven", "mauve", "morel". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "marvel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "marvel" is /ˈmɑɹvl̩/. 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 "marvel"?
First attested from 1300, from Middle English merveile, from Old French merveille (“a wonder”), from Vulgar Latin *miribilia, from Latin mīrābilia (“wonderful things”), from neuter plural of mīrābilis (“strange, wonderful”), from mīror (“I wonder ... 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 "marvel", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

laying#5,514parade#5,528planes#5,532Hitler#5,502

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Michelle9 variantsIranian9 variantssaints9 variantssheets9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list