match

/mæt͡ʃ/

//mæt͡ʃ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“match” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #774. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#774
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A competitive sporting event such as a boxing meet (commonly called a "bout"), a baseball game, or a cricket match.

Corpus desk

Index EN-match · match · English

match · rank #774 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #774
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 36,575
  • PHOTO-FINISH management

Nearest frequency peer: management (-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 “match”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “match” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

match vs much
60% similar
match vs mate
60% similar
match vs matt
60% similar

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

Key facts for match
PropertyValue
Headwordmatch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mæt͡ʃ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#774
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “match” 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). match 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 match (IPA /mæt͡ʃ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #774 among 36,575 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for match, with forms such as "amtch", "macth", and "matcch". 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, "much", "mate", "matt", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English macche, mecche, from Old English mæċċa, ġemæċċa (“companion, mate, wife, one suited to another”), from Proto-West Germanic *makkjō, *gamakkjō (“partner, equal”), from Proto-Germanic *makô, from Proto-Indo-European *mag- (“to knead, work”… The correct English form is match, spelled M-A-T-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A competitive sporting event such as a boxing meet (commonly called a "bout"), a baseball game, or a cricket match.
  2. 2
    Any contest or trial of strength or skill, or to determine superiority.
  3. 3
    Someone with a measure of an attribute equaling or exceeding the object of comparison.
  4. 4
    A marriage.
  5. 5
    A candidate for matrimony; one to be gained in marriage.
  6. 6
    Suitability.
  7. 7
    Equivalence; a state of correspondence.
  8. 8
    Equality of conditions in contest or competition.
  9. 9
    A pair of items or entities with mutually suitable characteristics.
  10. 10
    An agreement or compact.
  11. 11
    A perforated board, block of plaster, hardened sand, etc., in which a pattern is partly embedded when a mould is made, for giving shape to the surfaces of separation between the parts of the mould.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how match appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. My local team are playing in a match against their arch-rivals today.
  2. Can you play billiards? / Yes, do you wish to have a match with me? / Let us simply play (a game) for pleasure. We needn't have a match, as I don't like to gamble.

Etymology

From Middle English macche, mecche, from Old English mæċċa, ġemæċċa (“companion, mate, wife, one suited to another”), from Proto-West Germanic *makkjō, *gamakkjō (“partner, equal”), from Proto-Germanic *makô, from Proto-Indo-European *mag- (“to knead, work”). Compare Danish mage (“mate”), Icelandic maki (“spouse”).

This word in other languages

partido(Español)match(Français)Spiel(Deutsch)partida(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amtch
  • macth
  • matcch
  • matchh
  • mathc
  • mattch
  • mmatch
  • mtach

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amtch2macth2matcch1matchh1mathc2mattch1mmatch1mtach2
Edit distance from "match"

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 "match"?
"match" is spelled M-A-T-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /mæt͡ʃ/.
What does "match" mean?
As a noun, "match" means: A competitive sporting event such as a boxing meet (commonly called a "bout"), a baseball game, or a cricket match.
What words are commonly confused with "match"?
"match" is commonly confused with "much", "mate", "matt". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "match"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "match" is /mæt͡ʃ/. 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 "match"?
From Middle English macche, mecche, from Old English mæċċa, ġemæċċa (“companion, mate, wife, one suited to another”), from Proto-West Germanic *makkjō, *gamakkjō (“partner, equal”), from Proto-Germanic *makô, from Proto-Indo-European *mag- (“to kn... 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 "match", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

model#775green#771trust#780drive#764

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

amount8 variantsstand8 variantsreview8 variantsusually8 variants
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