Melchior

/ˈmɛl.ki.ɔː(ɹ)/

//ˈmɛl.ki.ɔː(ɹ)// name

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

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

The verdict

“Melchior” is uncommon English (frequency #72,536 among 36,575 “M” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#72,536
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One of the Magi according to medieval Christian legend.

Key facts for Melchior
PropertyValue
HeadwordMelchior
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈmɛl.ki.ɔː(ɹ)/
Letters8
Frequency rank#72,536
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Melchior” 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). Melchior lands here:

#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

Melchior is uncommon English at frequency #72,536 among 36,575 “M” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈmɛl.ki.ɔː(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Melchior has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin Melchior, from Hebrew מלכיאור (“king of light”), from מלך (“king”) + אור (“light”). The correct English form is Melchior, spelled M-E-L-C-H-I-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One of the Magi according to medieval Christian legend.
  2. 2
    A male given name from Hebrew.

Etymology

From Latin Melchior, from Hebrew מלכיאור (“king of light”), from מלך (“king”) + אור (“light”).

This word in other languages

Melchor(Español)Melchior(Français)

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 "Melchior"?
"Melchior" is spelled M-E-L-C-H-I-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɛl.ki.ɔː(ɹ)/.
What does "Melchior" mean?
As a proper noun, "Melchior" means: One of the Magi according to medieval Christian legend.
How do you pronounce "Melchior"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Melchior" is /ˈmɛl.ki.ɔː(ɹ)/. 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 "Melchior"?
From Latin Melchior, from Hebrew מלכיאור (“king of light”), from מלך (“king”) + אור (“light”). 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 “Melchior”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-E-L-C-H-I-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmɛl.ki.ɔː(ɹ)/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list