Mecca

/ˈmɛkə/

//ˈmɛkə// name

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

"mecca" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Mecca” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,672 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#17,672
frequency rank, English
5
letters
5
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A province of Saudi Arabia.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Mecca vs mega
40% similar
Mecca vs mesa
40% similar
Mecca vs mech
40% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Mecca
PropertyValue
HeadwordMecca
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈmɛkə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#17,672
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Mecca” 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). Mecca 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 Mecca is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɛkə/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,672 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for Mecca, with forms such as "emcca", "mceca", and "meca". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "mega", "mesa", "mech", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Arabic مَكَّة (Makka) of uncertain etymology. In American place names, in reference to the Arabian city. The correct English form is Mecca, spelled M-E-C-C-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A province of Saudi Arabia.
  2. 2
    A large city, the provincial capital of Mecca Province in the in the Hejaz region, Saudi Arabia, the holiest place in Islam, location of the sacred Ka'ba, and to which Muslims are required to make a hajj at least once in their lifetime, if possible.
  3. 3
    A number of places in the United States:
  4. 4
    A number of places in the United States:
  5. 5
    A number of places in the United States:
  6. 6
    A number of places in the United States:
  7. 7
    A surname.
  8. 8
    A unisex given name, mostly borne by women.

Etymology

From Arabic مَكَّة (Makka) of uncertain etymology. In American place names, in reference to the Arabian city.

This word in other languages

La Meca(Español)La Mecque(Français)Mekka(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: emcca,mceca,meca,mecac,mmecca

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

emcca2mceca2meca1mecac2mmecca1
Edit distance from "Mecca"

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 "Mecca"?
"Mecca" is spelled M-E-C-C-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɛkə/.
What does "Mecca" mean?
As a proper noun, "Mecca" means: A province of Saudi Arabia.
What words are commonly confused with "Mecca"?
"Mecca" is commonly confused with "mega", "mesa", "mech". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Mecca"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Mecca" is /ˈmɛkə/. 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 "Mecca"?
From Arabic مَكَّة (Makka) of uncertain etymology. In American place names, in reference to the Arabian city. 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 “Mecca”

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

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