maxilla
/mækˈsɪl.ə/
"maxilla" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“maxilla” is an uncommon English word, ranked #56,274 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #56,274
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Synonym of jaw.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | maxilla |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /mækˈsɪl.ə/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #56,274 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “maxilla” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for maxilla is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /mækˈsɪl.ə/. Corpus data places it at rank #56,274 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for maxilla, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English, from Latin māxilla (“the jawbone, jaw”), diminutive of māla (“the cheekbone, jaw”). The correct English form is maxilla, spelled M-A-X-I-L-L-A.
Definition
- 1Synonym of jaw.
- 2Synonym of jaw.
- 3One of the first or second pair of mouthparts posterior to the mandibles in many arthropods that are used for tasting and manipulating food.
Etymology
From Middle English, from Latin māxilla (“the jawbone, jaw”), diminutive of māla (“the cheekbone, jaw”).
This word in other languages
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 "maxilla"?
What does "maxilla" mean?
How do you pronounce "maxilla"?
What is the origin of the word "maxilla"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “maxilla”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is M-A-X-I-L-L-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /mækˈsɪl.ə/ (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
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.