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” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #774 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#774
frequency rank, English
5
letters
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.

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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for match is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /mæt͡ʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #774 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

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.

Using “match”

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

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