microphone

/ˈmaɪ.kɹəˌfəʊn/

//ˈmaɪ.kɹəˌfəʊn// noun

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

"microphone" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“microphone” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,887. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,887
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A device (transducer) used to convert sound waves into a varying electric current; normally fed into an amplifier and either recorded or transmitted over radio.

Key facts for microphone
PropertyValue
Headwordmicrophone
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmaɪ.kɹəˌfəʊn/
Letters10
Frequency rank#10,887
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “microphone” 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). microphone lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around microphone (IPA /ˈmaɪ.kɹəˌfəʊn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,887 among 36,575 “M” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A device (transducer) used to convert sound waves into a varying electric current; normally fed into an amplifier and either recorded or transmitted over radio.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for microphone, with forms such as "imcrophone", "mcirophone", and "miccrophone". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From micro- + -phone. The correct English form is microphone, spelled M-I-C-R-O-P-H-O-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device (transducer) used to convert sound waves into a varying electric current; normally fed into an amplifier and either recorded or transmitted over radio.

Etymology

From micro- + -phone.

Synonyms

micmike

This word in other languages

micrófono(Español)microphone(Français)Mikrofon(Deutsch)microfone(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imcrophone
  • mcirophone
  • miccrophone
  • micorphone
  • microhpone
  • microphhone
  • microphnoe
  • microphoen
  • microphonne
  • micropohne
  • micropphone
  • micrpohone
  • micrrophone
  • mircophone
  • mmicrophone

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of microphone - 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.

imcrophone2mcirophone2miccrophone1micorphone2microhpone2microphhone1microphnoe2microphoen2
Edit distance from "microphone"

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 "microphone"?
"microphone" is spelled M-I-C-R-O-P-H-O-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmaɪ.kɹəˌfəʊn/.
What does "microphone" mean?
As a noun, "microphone" means: A device (transducer) used to convert sound waves into a varying electric current; normally fed into an amplifier and either recorded or transmitted over radio.
What are common misspellings of "microphone"?
Common misspellings include "imcrophone", "mcirophone", "miccrophone", "micorphone", "microhpone". The correct spelling is "microphone".
How do you pronounce "microphone"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "microphone" is /ˈmaɪ.kɹəˌfəʊn/. 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 "microphone"?
From micro- + -phone. 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 “microphone”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-I-C-R-O-P-H-O-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmaɪ.kɹəˌfəʊn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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