moko

noun

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

The verdict

“moko” is uncommon English (frequency #86,527 among 36,575 “M” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#86,527
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A traditional Maori tattoo (image made in the skin), traditionally done with chisels; also, such an image used as a personal sign or signature.

Key facts for moko
PropertyValue
Headwordmoko
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters4
Frequency rank#86,527
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “moko” 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). moko lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

moko is uncommon English at frequency #86,527 among 36,575 “M” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A traditional Maori tattoo (image made in the skin), traditionally done with chisels; also, such an image used as a personal sign or signature.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for moko, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Māori moko. The correct English form is moko, spelled M-O-K-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A traditional Maori tattoo (image made in the skin), traditionally done with chisels; also, such an image used as a personal sign or signature.

Etymology

Borrowed from Māori moko.

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 "moko"?
"moko" is spelled M-O-K-O.
What does "moko" mean?
As a noun, "moko" means: A traditional Maori tattoo (image made in the skin), traditionally done with chisels; also, such an image used as a personal sign or signature.
What is the origin of the word "moko"?
Borrowed from Māori moko. 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 “moko”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-O-K-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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