matzo

Name: matzo, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈmætsə/

//ˈmætsə// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“matzo” is uncommon English (frequency #75,190 among 36,575 “M” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,190
frequency rank, English: 36,575
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Thin, unleavened bread in Jewish cuisine.

Key facts for matzo
Property	Value
Headword	matzo
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈmætsə/
Letters	5
Frequency rank	#75,190
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “matzo” 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). matzo lands here:

#75,190

#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

matzo is uncommon English at frequency #75,190 among 36,575 “M” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmætsə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for matzo, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: When stressed on the first syllable, from Yiddish מצה (matse), from Hebrew מַצָּה (matsá); pronunciations stressed on the second syllable are borrowed directly from Hebrew. The correct English form is matzo, spelled M-A-T-Z-O.

Definition

1
Thin, unleavened bread in Jewish cuisine.
2
A piece of the above bread.

Etymology

When stressed on the first syllable, from Yiddish מצה (matse), from Hebrew מַצָּה (matsá); pronunciations stressed on the second syllable are borrowed directly from Hebrew.

This word in other languages

matzá(Español)matza(Français)Matze(Deutsch)

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 "matzo"?

"matzo" is spelled M-A-T-Z-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmætsə/.

What does "matzo" mean?

As a noun, "matzo" means: Thin, unleavened bread in Jewish cuisine.

How do you pronounce "matzo"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "matzo" is /ˈmætsə/. 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 "matzo"?

When stressed on the first syllable, from Yiddish מצה (matse), from Hebrew מַצָּה (matsá); pronunciations stressed on the second syllable are borrowed directly from Hebrew. 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 “matzo”

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

The one correct English spelling is M-A-T-Z-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈmætsə/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.