mayonnaise

/ˈmeɪ.ə.neɪz/

//ˈmeɪ.ə.neɪz// noun

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

"mayonnaise" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mayonnaise” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,275. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,275
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A dressing made from vegetable oil, raw egg yolks, vinegar or lemon juice, and seasoning, used on salads, with french fries, in sandwiches etc.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mayonnaise · mayonnaise · English

mayonnaise · rank #21,275 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,275
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH mathematician

Nearest frequency peer: mathematician (-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 “mayonnaise”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “mayonnaise” 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 mayonnaise
PropertyValue
Headwordmayonnaise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmeɪ.ə.neɪz/
Letters10
Frequency rank#21,275
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mayonnaise”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “mathematician” (#21,274), “McDonnell” (#21,277), “McDowell” (#21,278). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mayonnaise” is #21,275. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around mayonnaise (IPA /ˈmeɪ.ə.neɪz/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,275 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for mayonnaise, with forms such as "amyonnaise", "maoynnaise", and "maynonaise". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unadapted borrowing from French mayonnaise, possibly named after the city of Maó (Mahón in Spanish), Minorca, whence the recipe was brought back to France. Compare Spanish mahonesa. Alternative suggested origins include the city of Bayonne (bayonnaise); the… The correct English form is mayonnaise, spelled M-A-Y-O-N-N-A-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A dressing made from vegetable oil, raw egg yolks, vinegar or lemon juice, and seasoning, used on salads, with french fries, in sandwiches etc.
  2. 2
    Any cold dish with that dressing as an ingredient.
  3. 3
    Any cream, for example for moisturizing the face or conditioning the hair, for which the base is egg yolks and oil.
  4. 4
    Exaggeration.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There are 250 foods, including mayonnaise, cheese and cocoa, that don't list ingredients at all.
  2. The FDA's original intent for foods included under "standards of identity" ensured that terms like "mayonnaise" or "ice cream” would guarantee the same basic ingredients required in the government-established recipe no matter who manufactured it.

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French mayonnaise, possibly named after the city of Maó (Mahón in Spanish), Minorca, whence the recipe was brought back to France. Compare Spanish mahonesa. Alternative suggested origins include the city of Bayonne (bayonnaise); the Duke of Mayenne and the words manier (“to handle”) in French or moyeu, or egg yolk, in Old French.

Synonyms

mayo

This word in other languages

mayonesa(Español)mayonnaise(Français)Mayonnaise(Deutsch)maionese(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amyonnaise
  • maoynnaise
  • maynonaise
  • mayonaise
  • mayonanise
  • mayonnaies
  • mayonnaisse
  • mayonnasie
  • mayonniase
  • mayyonnaise
  • mmayonnaise
  • myaonnaise

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amyonnaise2maoynnaise2maynonaise2mayonaise1mayonanise2mayonnaies2mayonnaisse1mayonnasie2
Edit distance from "mayonnaise"

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 "mayonnaise"?
"mayonnaise" is spelled M-A-Y-O-N-N-A-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmeɪ.ə.neɪz/.
What does "mayonnaise" mean?
As a noun, "mayonnaise" means: A dressing made from vegetable oil, raw egg yolks, vinegar or lemon juice, and seasoning, used on salads, with french fries, in sandwiches etc.
What are common misspellings of "mayonnaise"?
Common misspellings include "amyonnaise", "maoynnaise", "maynonaise", "mayonaise", "mayonanise". The correct spelling is "mayonnaise".
How do you pronounce "mayonnaise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mayonnaise" is /ˈmeɪ.ə.neɪz/. 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 "mayonnaise"?
Unadapted borrowing from French mayonnaise, possibly named after the city of Maó (Mahón in Spanish), Minorca, whence the recipe was brought back to France. Compare Spanish mahonesa. Alternative suggested origins include the city of Bayonne (bayonn... 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 "mayonnaise", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

meticulous#21,284logistical#21,263intimately#21,247Paralympic#21,308

Similar misspelling depth

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

Michelin12 variantsinsidious12 variantsplethora12 variantsquantify12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list