menu

/ˈmɛn.juː/

//ˈmɛn.juː// noun

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

"menu" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“menu” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,613 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,613
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The details of the food to be served at a banquet; a bill of fare.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

menu vs MN
0% similar
menu vs mu
50% similar
menu vs met
50% similar

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

Key facts for menu
PropertyValue
Headwordmenu
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɛn.juː/
Letters4
Frequency rank#4,613
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “menu” 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). menu 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 menu is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɛn.juː/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,613 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 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 menu, with forms such as "emnu", "mennu", and "meun". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "MN", "mu", "met", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French menu. Doublet of menudo and minute. The correct English form is menu, spelled M-E-N-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    The details of the food to be served at a banquet; a bill of fare.
  2. 2
    A list containing the food and beverages served at a restaurant, café, or bar. Menus may be printed on paper sheets provided to customers, put on a large poster or display board inside the establishment, displayed outside the restaurant, or digital.
  3. 3
    The food or drinks that are available in a restaurant, café, or bar.
  4. 4
    A list from which the user may select an operation to be performed, often done with a keyboard, mouse, or controller under a graphical user interface.
  5. 5
    A list or agenda.

Etymology

Borrowed from French menu. Doublet of menudo and minute.

This word in other languages

menú(Español)carte(Français)Menü(Deutsch)cardápio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: emnu,mennu,meun,mmenu,mneu

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of menu - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

emnu2mennu1meun2mmenu1mneu2
Edit distance from "menu"

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 "menu"?
"menu" is spelled M-E-N-U. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɛn.juː/.
What does "menu" mean?
As a noun, "menu" means: The details of the food to be served at a banquet; a bill of fare.
What words are commonly confused with "menu"?
"menu" is commonly confused with "MN", "mu", "met". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "menu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "menu" is /ˈmɛn.juː/. 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 "menu"?
Borrowed from French menu. Doublet of menudo and minute. 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 “menu”

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

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