# masala

> English word · Noun · IPA /məˈsɑːlə/ · frequency rank #33,322

## Definitions
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. Any dish prepared with such spices.
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”).

## Easily confused with
- **massa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/masala-vs-massa)
- **Masha** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/masala-vs-masha)
- **mascara** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/masala-vs-mascara)
- **mala** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mala-vs-masala)
- **masa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/masa-vs-masala)
- **mahal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mahal-vs-masala)
- **Marla** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marla-vs-masala)
- **Manila** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manila-vs-masala)
- **Malaya** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malaya-vs-masala)
- **Malaga** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malaga-vs-masala)
- **mandala** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mandala-vs-masala)

## Common misspellings (8)
`amsala`, `maasla`, `masaal`, `masalla`, `maslaa`, `massala`, `mmasala`, `msaala`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/masala