merci

/mɛːˈsiː/

//mɛːˈsiː// intj

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

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

The verdict

“merci” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #38,047. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#38,047
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Thank you.

Corpus desk

Index EN-merci · merci · English

merci · rank #38,047 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #38,047
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH megaphone

Nearest frequency peer: megaphone (-2 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 “merci”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “merci” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

merci vs MRI
0% similar
merci vs MRC
0% similar
merci vs mere
60% similar

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

Key facts for merci
PropertyValue
Headwordmerci
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechInterjection
IPA/mɛːˈsiː/
Letters5
Frequency rank#38,047
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “merci”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).mercilands 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 “megaphone” (#38,045), “militarism” (#38,049), “mediaeval” (#38,044). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “merci” is #38,047. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around merci (IPA /mɛːˈsiː/), aninterjection. Corpus frequency is #38,047 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Thank you.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for merci, with forms such as "emrci", "mecri", and "mercci". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "MRI", "MRC", "mere", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French merci (“thank you”). Doublet of mercy. The correct English form is merci, spelled M-E-R-C-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    Thank you.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Rebecca Rosen, merci for helping me to understand that connection between you and The Other Side, and making the character of Theresa come alive.
  2. "Improve the roads! Merci for the reception!" With this insouciant remark and the banner he affixed to his automobile that read "Auto rally against roadlessness and slovenliness!"

Etymology

Borrowed from French merci (“thank you”). Doublet of mercy.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • emrci
  • mecri
  • mercci
  • meric
  • merrci
  • mmerci
  • mreci

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

emrci2mecri2mercci1meric2merrci1mmerci1mreci2
Edit distance from "merci"

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 "merci"?
"merci" is spelled M-E-R-C-I. The IPA pronunciation is /mɛːˈsiː/.
What does "merci" mean?
As an interjection, "merci" means: Thank you.
What words are commonly confused with "merci"?
"merci" is commonly confused with "MRI", "MRC", "mere". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "merci"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "merci" is /mɛːˈsiː/. 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 "merci"?
Borrowed from French merci (“thank you”). Doublet of mercy. 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 "merci", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

moped#38,058moser#38,060mambo#38,033Malek#38,031

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

missus7 variantsmaggot7 variantsloony7 variantsNicol7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list