mastic

/ˈmæstɪk/

//ˈmæstɪk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“mastic” is uncommon English (frequency #74,298 among 36,575 “M” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#74,298
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An evergreen shrub or small tree, Pistacia lentiscus (mastic tree), native to the Mediterranean.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mastic · mastic · English

mastic · rank #74,298 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #74,298
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 36,575
  • PHOTO-FINISH Matsushita

Nearest frequency peer: Matsushita (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “mastic”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “mastic” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for mastic
PropertyValue
Headwordmastic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmæstɪk/
Letters6
Frequency rank#74,298
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mastic” 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). mastic lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

mastic is uncommon English at frequency #74,298 among 36,575 “M” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmæstɪk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

mastic has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mastik, from Old French mastic, from Latin mastiche, from Ancient Greek μαστίχη (mastíkhē), from μαστιχάω (mastikháō, “I chew”) (note the chewing gum sense). Related to masticate. The broad sense for cements came via extension from prede… The correct English form is mastic, spelled M-A-S-T-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    An evergreen shrub or small tree, Pistacia lentiscus (mastic tree), native to the Mediterranean.
  2. 2
    A hard, brittle, aromatic and transparent resin produced by this tree and used to make varnishes and chewing gum, and as a flavouring.
  3. 3
    An alcoholic liquor flavoured with this resin.
  4. 4
    Any of various cements, usually flexible and waterproof, used as an adhesive, sealant, caulk, or filler.

Etymology

From Middle English mastik, from Old French mastic, from Latin mastiche, from Ancient Greek μαστίχη (mastíkhē), from μαστιχάω (mastikháō, “I chew”) (note the chewing gum sense). Related to masticate. The broad sense for cements came via extension from predecessor cements made with the tree's resin. Doublet of mastika.

This word in other languages

mata(Español)pistachier lentisque(Français)

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mastic"?
"mastic" is spelled M-A-S-T-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmæstɪk/.
What does "mastic" mean?
As a noun, "mastic" means: An evergreen shrub or small tree, Pistacia lentiscus (mastic tree), native to the Mediterranean.
How do you pronounce "mastic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mastic" is /ˈmæstɪk/. 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 "mastic"?
From Middle English mastik, from Old French mastic, from Latin mastiche, from Ancient Greek μαστίχη (mastíkhē), from μαστιχάω (mastikháō, “I chew”) (note the chewing gum sense). Related to masticate. The broad sense for cements came via extension ... 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 "mastic", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

mangal#74,289Mandan#74,288Mamata#74,287merest#74,309
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