mercy

Name: mercy, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈmɜːsi/

//ˈmɜːsi// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“mercy” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,691 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,691
frequency rank, English: 5
letters: 8
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mercy vs MRC

0% similar

mercy vs mere

60% similar

mercy vs MERS

0% similar

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

Key facts for mercy
Property	Value
Headword	mercy
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈmɜːsi/
Letters	5
Frequency rank	#4,691
Misspellings tracked	8
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mercy” 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). mercy lands here:

#4,691

#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 mercy is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɜːsi/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,691 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for mercy, with forms such as "emrcy", "mecry", and "merccy". 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, "MRC", "mere", "MERS", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mercy, merci, from Anglo-Norman merci (compare continental Old French merci, mercit), from Latin mercēs (“wages, fee, price”), from merx (“wares, merchandise”). Displaced native Old English mildheortnes (literally "mildheartedness"). Cog… The correct English form is mercy, spelled M-E-R-C-Y.

Definition

1
Relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another.
2
Forgiveness or compassion, especially toward those less fortunate.
3
A tendency toward forgiveness, pity, or compassion.
4
Instances of forbearance or forgiveness.
5
A blessing; something to be thankful for.
6
A children's game in which two players stand opposite with hands grasped and twist each other's arms until one gives in.

Etymology

From Middle English mercy, merci, from Anglo-Norman merci (compare continental Old French merci, mercit), from Latin mercēs (“wages, fee, price”), from merx (“wares, merchandise”). Displaced native Old English mildheortnes (literally "mildheartedness"). Cognate with French merci, whence the doublet merci.

This word in other languages

misericordia(Español)miséricorde(Français)Barmherzigkeit(Deutsch)misericórdia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: emrcy,mecry,merccy,mercyy,merrcy,meryc,mmercy,mrecy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "mercy"

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 "mercy"?

"mercy" is spelled M-E-R-C-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɜːsi/.

What does "mercy" mean?

As a noun, "mercy" means: Relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another.

What words are commonly confused with "mercy"?

"mercy" is commonly confused with "MRC", "mere", "MERS". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "mercy"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mercy" is /ˈmɜːsi/. 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 "mercy"?

From Middle English mercy, merci, from Anglo-Norman merci (compare continental Old French merci, mercit), from Latin mercēs (“wages, fee, price”), from merx (“wares, merchandise”). Displaced native Old English mildheortnes (literally "mildheartedn... 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 “mercy”

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

The one correct English spelling is M-E-R-C-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈmɜːsi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “MRC” - see the side-by-side comparison. mercy vs MRC
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.