mellifluous

/məˈlɪflu.əs/

//məˈlɪflu.əs// adj

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

"mellifluous" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mellifluous” is uncommon English (frequency #86,508 among 36,575 “M” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#86,508
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Flowing like honey.

Key facts for mellifluous
PropertyValue
Headwordmellifluous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/məˈlɪflu.əs/
Letters11
Frequency rank#86,508
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mellifluous” 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). mellifluous 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

mellifluous is uncommon English at frequency #86,508 among 36,575 “M” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /məˈlɪflu.əs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for mellifluous in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin mellifluus (“flowing like honey”), from mel (“honey”) + fluō (“flow”). Compare superfluous and fluid, from same root, and with dulcet (“sweet speech”), alternative Latinate term with a similar meaning. The correct English form is mellifluous, spelled M-E-L-L-I-F-L-U-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Flowing like honey.
  2. 2
    Sweet, smooth and musical; pleasant to hear (generally used of a person's voice, tone or writing style).

Etymology

From Latin mellifluus (“flowing like honey”), from mel (“honey”) + fluō (“flow”). Compare superfluous and fluid, from same root, and with dulcet (“sweet speech”), alternative Latinate term with a similar meaning.

This word in other languages

melifluo(Español)mélodieux(Français)honigsüß(Deutsch)melífluo(Português)

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 "mellifluous"?
"mellifluous" is spelled M-E-L-L-I-F-L-U-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /məˈlɪflu.əs/.
What does "mellifluous" mean?
As an adjective, "mellifluous" means: Flowing like honey.
How do you pronounce "mellifluous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mellifluous" is /məˈlɪflu.əs/. 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 "mellifluous"?
From Latin mellifluus (“flowing like honey”), from mel (“honey”) + fluō (“flow”). Compare superfluous and fluid, from same root, and with dulcet (“sweet speech”), alternative Latinate term with a similar meaning. 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 “mellifluous”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-E-L-L-I-F-L-U-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /məˈlɪflu.əs/ (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