mercy

/ˈmɜːsi/

//ˈmɜːsi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“mercy” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,691. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,691
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mercy · mercy · English

mercy · rank #4,691 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,691
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH measured

Nearest frequency peer: measured (-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 “mercy”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “mercy” 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).

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
PropertyValue
Headwordmercy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɜːsi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#4,691
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mercy”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).mercylands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “measured” (#4,690), “nevertheless” (#4,692), “maintaining” (#4,689). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mercy” is #4,691. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around mercy (IPA /ˈmɜːsi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,691 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She took mercy on him and quit embarrassing him.
  2. Have mercy on the poor and assist them if you can.

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.

emrcy2mecry2merccy1mercyy1merrcy1meryc2mmercy1mrecy2
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "mercy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

outer#4,694reads#4,705gains#4,673screw#4,710

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

loaded8 variantsquotes8 variantsgarage8 variantssooner8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list