masc

/mæsk/

//mæsk// adj

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

"masc" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“masc” is an uncommon English word, ranked #66,071 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#66,071
frequency rank, English
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Masculine (having qualities stereotypically associated with men; virile).

Key facts for masc
PropertyValue
Headwordmasc
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/mæsk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#66,071
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “masc” 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). masc lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for masc is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /mæsk/. Corpus data places it at rank #66,071 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Masculine (having qualities stereotypically associated with men; virile).".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for masc, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Clipping of masculine. The correct English form is masc, spelled M-A-S-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Masculine (having qualities stereotypically associated with men; virile).

Etymology

Clipping of masculine.

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 "masc"?
"masc" is spelled M-A-S-C. The IPA pronunciation is /mæsk/.
What does "masc" mean?
As an adjective, "masc" means: Masculine (having qualities stereotypically associated with men; virile).
How do you pronounce "masc"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "masc" is /mæsk/. 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 "masc"?
Clipping of masculine. 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 “masc”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-A-S-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /mæsk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list