mason

/ˈmeɪsən/

//ˈmeɪsən// noun

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

"mason" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mason” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,709 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,709
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A bricklayer, one whose occupation is to build with stone or brick.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mason vs mon
60% similar
mason vs MSN
0% similar
mason vs mass
60% similar

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

Key facts for mason
PropertyValue
Headwordmason
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmeɪsən/
Letters5
Frequency rank#5,709
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mason” 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). mason 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 mason is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmeɪsən/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,709 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for mason, with forms such as "amson", "maosn", and "masno". 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, "mon", "MSN", "mass", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English masoun, machun, from Anglo-Norman machun, masson, Old French maçon, from Late Latin maciō (“carpenter, bricklayer”), from Frankish *makjō (“maker, builder”), a derivative of Frankish *makōn (“to work, build, make”), from Proto-Indo-Europ… The correct English form is mason, spelled M-A-S-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A bricklayer, one whose occupation is to build with stone or brick.
  2. 2
    One who prepares stone for building purposes.
  3. 3
    A member of the fraternity of Freemasons. See Freemason.

Etymology

From Middle English masoun, machun, from Anglo-Norman machun, masson, Old French maçon, from Late Latin maciō (“carpenter, bricklayer”), from Frankish *makjō (“maker, builder”), a derivative of Frankish *makōn (“to work, build, make”), from Proto-Indo-European *mag- (“to knead, mix, make”), conflated with Proto-West Germanic *mattjō (“cutter”), from Proto-Indo-European *metn-, *met- (“to cut”).

This word in other languages

albañil(Español)maçon(Français)Maurer(Deutsch)pedreiro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amson,maosn,masno,masonn,masson,mmason,msaon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mason - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

amson2maosn2masno2masonn1masson1mmason1msaon2
Edit distance from "mason"

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 "mason"?
"mason" is spelled M-A-S-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmeɪsən/.
What does "mason" mean?
As a noun, "mason" means: A bricklayer, one whose occupation is to build with stone or brick.
What words are commonly confused with "mason"?
"mason" is commonly confused with "mon", "MSN", "mass". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mason"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mason" is /ˈmeɪsən/. 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 "mason"?
From Middle English masoun, machun, from Anglo-Norman machun, masson, Old French maçon, from Late Latin maciō (“carpenter, bricklayer”), from Frankish *makjō (“maker, builder”), a derivative of Frankish *makōn (“to work, build, make”), from Proto-... 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 “mason”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-A-S-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmeɪsən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “mon” - see the side-by-side comparison. mason vs mon
  • 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