maverick

/ˈmævəɹɪk/

//ˈmævəɹɪk// adj

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

"maverick" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“maverick” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,886. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,886
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Unbranded.

Corpus desk

Index EN-maverick · maverick · English

maverick · rank #18,886 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,886
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH matchmaking

Nearest frequency peer: matchmaking (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “maverick”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “maverick” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for maverick
PropertyValue
Headwordmaverick
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈmævəɹɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#18,886
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “maverick”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).mavericklands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “matchmaking” (#18,885), “measles” (#18,887), “mascara” (#18,884). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “maverick” is #18,886. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around maverick (IPA /ˈmævəɹɪk/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #18,886 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for maverick, with forms such as "amverick", "maevrick", and "maveirck". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Named after Texan lawyer and politician Samuel Maverick (1803–1870), who refused to brand his cattle. For probable origin and meaning, see Maverick. The poker noun sense (“a queen and a jack as a starting hand in Texas hold 'em”) may be from the theme song … The correct English form is maverick, spelled M-A-V-E-R-I-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    Unbranded.
  2. 2
    Showing independence in thoughts or actions.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Occasionally some young men who have no cattle of their own will take part in these expeditions, or they will give their services by the year to receive a pro rata of all the maverick cattle that may be found. [Quoted from The Texas New Yorker, pages 110–111.]
  2. But I would rather have maverick cattle, they are more accustomed to range conditions. My cattle from the registered herd have not done too well.

Etymology

Named after Texan lawyer and politician Samuel Maverick (1803–1870), who refused to brand his cattle. For probable origin and meaning, see Maverick. The poker noun sense (“a queen and a jack as a starting hand in Texas hold 'em”) may be from the theme song of the US Western television series Maverick (1957–1962), which says of the eponymous protagonist that “[g]amblin’ is his game” and that he is “livin’ on jacks and queens”.

This word in other languages

orejano(Español)individualiste(Français)eigenwillig(Deutsch)rebelde(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amverick
  • maevrick
  • maveirck
  • mavercik
  • mavericck
  • maverickk
  • maverikc
  • maverrick
  • mavreick
  • mavverick
  • mmaverick
  • mvaerick

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of maverick - 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.

amverick2maevrick2maveirck2mavercik2mavericck1maverickk1maverikc2maverrick1
Edit distance from "maverick"

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 "maverick"?
"maverick" is spelled M-A-V-E-R-I-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmævəɹɪk/.
What does "maverick" mean?
As an adjective, "maverick" means: Unbranded.
What are common misspellings of "maverick"?
Common misspellings include "amverick", "maevrick", "maveirck", "mavercik", "mavericck". The correct spelling is "maverick".
How do you pronounce "maverick"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "maverick" is /ˈmævəɹɪk/. 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 "maverick"?
Named after Texan lawyer and politician Samuel Maverick (1803–1870), who refused to brand his cattle. For probable origin and meaning, see Maverick. The poker noun sense (“a queen and a jack as a starting hand in Texas hold 'em”) may be from the t... 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 "maverick", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

migraine#18,893Monterey#18,899optimize#18,909hormonal#18,854

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

holistic12 variantsheartless12 variantsharmonic12 variantspristine12 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list