melodrama

/ˈmɛləˌdɹɑːmə/

//ˈmɛləˌdɹɑːmə// noun

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

"melodrama" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“melodrama” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,214. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,214
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A kind of drama having a musical accompaniment to intensify the effect of certain scenes.

Corpus desk

Index EN-melodrama · melodrama · English

melodrama · rank #27,214 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,214
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH meager

Nearest frequency peer: meager (-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 “melodrama”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “melodrama” 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 melodrama
PropertyValue
Headwordmelodrama
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɛləˌdɹɑːmə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#27,214
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “melodrama”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).melodramalands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “meager” (#27,213), “Milly” (#27,215), “Maude” (#27,211). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “melodrama” is #27,214. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around melodrama (IPA /ˈmɛləˌdɹɑːmə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #27,214 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for melodrama, with forms such as "emlodrama", "meldorama", and "mellodrama". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French mélodrame, the second element refashioned by analogy with drama; ultimately from Ancient Greek μέλος (mélos, “limb”, “member”, “song”, “tune”, “melody”) + δρᾶμα (drâma, “deed”, “theatrical act”). Compare melodrame. Cognate to German Melodram and… The correct English form is melodrama, spelled M-E-L-O-D-R-A-M-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A kind of drama having a musical accompaniment to intensify the effect of certain scenes.
  2. 2
    A drama abounding in romantic sentiment and agonizing situations, with a musical accompaniment only in parts which are especially thrilling or pathetic.
  3. 3
    A passage in which the orchestra plays a somewhat descriptive accompaniment, while the actor speaks.
  4. 4
    Any situation or action which is blown out of proportion.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The grave-digging scene in Beethoven's “Fidelio” has much melodrama.
  2. Rudolf was the bold, bad Baron of traditional melodrama. Irene was young, as pretty as a picture, fresh from a music academy in England. He was the scion of an ancient noble family; she an orphan without money or friends.

Etymology

From French mélodrame, the second element refashioned by analogy with drama; ultimately from Ancient Greek μέλος (mélos, “limb”, “member”, “song”, “tune”, “melody”) + δρᾶμα (drâma, “deed”, “theatrical act”). Compare melodrame. Cognate to German Melodram and Spanish melodrama.

This word in other languages

melodrama(Español)mélodrame(Français)Melodrama(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • emlodrama
  • meldorama
  • mellodrama
  • melodarma
  • meloddrama
  • melodraam
  • melodramma
  • melodrmaa
  • melodrrama
  • melordama
  • meoldrama
  • mleodrama
  • mmelodrama

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

emlodrama2meldorama2mellodrama1melodarma2meloddrama1melodraam2melodramma1melodrmaa2
Edit distance from "melodrama"

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 "melodrama"?
"melodrama" is spelled M-E-L-O-D-R-A-M-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɛləˌdɹɑːmə/.
What does "melodrama" mean?
As a noun, "melodrama" means: A kind of drama having a musical accompaniment to intensify the effect of certain scenes.
What are common misspellings of "melodrama"?
Common misspellings include "emlodrama", "meldorama", "mellodrama", "melodarma", "meloddrama". The correct spelling is "melodrama".
How do you pronounce "melodrama"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "melodrama" is /ˈmɛləˌdɹɑːmə/. 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 "melodrama"?
From French mélodrame, the second element refashioned by analogy with drama; ultimately from Ancient Greek μέλος (mélos, “limb”, “member”, “song”, “tune”, “melody”) + δρᾶμα (drâma, “deed”, “theatrical act”). Compare melodrame. Cognate to German Me... 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 "melodrama", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

lubricant#27,202leisurely#27,196observant#27,234parochial#27,240

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

plankton13 variantsfrosting13 variantsScranton13 variantsfiduciary13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list