mock

/mɒk/

//mɒk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“mock” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,960 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,960
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An imitation, usually of lesser quality.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mock vs mom
50% similar
mock vs mod
50% similar
mock vs mon
50% similar

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

Key facts for mock
PropertyValue
Headwordmock
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mɒk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#8,960
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mock” 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). mock 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 mock is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /mɒk/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,960 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for mock, with forms such as "mcok", "mmock", and "mocck". 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, "mom", "mod", "mon", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mokken, from Old French mocquer, moquier (“to deride, jeer”), from Middle Dutch mocken (“to mumble”) or Middle Low German mucken (“to grumble, talk with the mouth half-opened”), both from Proto-West Germanic *mokkijan, *mukkijan (“to low… The correct English form is mock, spelled M-O-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    An imitation, usually of lesser quality.
  2. 2
    Mockery; the act of mocking.
  3. 3
    Ellipsis of mock examination.
  4. 4
    A mockup or prototype; particularly, ellipsis of mock object, as used in unit testing.

Etymology

From Middle English mokken, from Old French mocquer, moquier (“to deride, jeer”), from Middle Dutch mocken (“to mumble”) or Middle Low German mucken (“to grumble, talk with the mouth half-opened”), both from Proto-West Germanic *mokkijan, *mukkijan (“to low, bellow; mumble”), from Proto-Germanic *mukkijaną, *mūhaną (“to low, bellow, shout”), from Proto-Indo-European *mūg-, *mūk- (“to low, mumble”). Cognate with Dutch mokken (“to sulk; pout; mope; grumble”), Old High German firmucken (“to be stupid”), Modern German mucksen (“to utter a word; mumble; grumble”), West Frisian mokke (“to mope; sulk; grumble”), Swedish mucka (“to murmur”), dialectal Dutch mokkel (“kiss”).

This word in other languages

imitación(Español)imitation(Français)Nachahmung(Deutsch)imitação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mcok,mmock,mocck,mockk,mokc,omck

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mcok2mmock1mocck1mockk1mokc2omck2
Edit distance from "mock"

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 "mock"?
"mock" is spelled M-O-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /mɒk/.
What does "mock" mean?
As a noun, "mock" means: An imitation, usually of lesser quality.
What words are commonly confused with "mock"?
"mock" is commonly confused with "mom", "mod", "mon". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mock"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mock" is /mɒk/. 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 "mock"?
From Middle English mokken, from Old French mocquer, moquier (“to deride, jeer”), from Middle Dutch mocken (“to mumble”) or Middle Low German mucken (“to grumble, talk with the mouth half-opened”), both from Proto-West Germanic *mokkijan, *mukkija... 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 “mock”

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

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