masala

/məˈsɑːlə/

//məˈsɑːlə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“masala” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,322. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,322
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of many blends of spices used in Indian cuisine, most often containing cardamom, coriander, mace together with pepper, nutmeg, fennel seeds, jeera etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

masala vs massa
67% similar
masala vs Masha
50% similar
masala vs mascara
71% similar

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

Key facts for masala
PropertyValue
Headwordmasala
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/məˈsɑːlə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#33,322
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “masala” 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). masala lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around masala (IPA /məˈsɑːlə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #33,322 among 36,575 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for masala, with forms such as "amsala", "maasla", and "masaal". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "massa", "Masha", "mascara", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Hindustani مصالحہ (maṣālḥa, maṣāliḥa) / मसाला (masālā, “spice(s)”), from Classical Persian مصالح (masālih, “affairs, materials, spices”), plural of مصلحت (maslahat, “affair, policy, best thing to do”), both from Arabic, derived from صَلَحَ (ṣa… The correct English form is masala, spelled M-A-S-A-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of many blends of spices used in Indian cuisine, most often containing cardamom, coriander, mace together with pepper, nutmeg, fennel seeds, jeera etc.
  2. 2
    Any dish prepared with such spices.
  3. 3
    Any powder of ground ingredients, not necessarily used in cuisine.

Etymology

Borrowed from Hindustani مصالحہ (maṣālḥa, maṣāliḥa) / मसाला (masālā, “spice(s)”), from Classical Persian مصالح (masālih, “affairs, materials, spices”), plural of مصلحت (maslahat, “affair, policy, best thing to do”), both from Arabic, derived from صَلَحَ (ṣalaḥa, “be fit, competent, usable”).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amsala
  • maasla
  • masaal
  • masalla
  • maslaa
  • massala
  • mmasala
  • msaala

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of masala - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

amsala2maasla2masaal2masalla1maslaa2massala1mmasala1msaala2
Edit distance from "masala"

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 "masala"?
"masala" is spelled M-A-S-A-L-A. The IPA pronunciation is /məˈsɑːlə/.
What does "masala" mean?
As a noun, "masala" means: Any of many blends of spices used in Indian cuisine, most often containing cardamom, coriander, mace together with pepper, nutmeg, fennel seeds, jeera etc.
What words are commonly confused with "masala"?
"masala" is commonly confused with "massa", "Masha", "mascara". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "masala"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "masala" is /məˈsɑːlə/. 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 "masala"?
Borrowed from Hindustani مصالحہ (maṣālḥa, maṣāliḥa) / मसाला (masālā, “spice(s)”), from Classical Persian مصالح (masālih, “affairs, materials, spices”), plural of مصلحت (maslahat, “affair, policy, best thing to do”), both from Arabic, derived from ... 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 “masala”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-A-S-A-L-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /məˈsɑːlə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “massa” - see the side-by-side comparison. masala vs massa
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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