Moloch

/ˈməʊlɒk/

//ˈməʊlɒk// name

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

"moloch" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Moloch” is uncommon English (frequency #58,208 among 4,057 “M” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,208
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An ancient Ammonite deity worshiped by the Canaanites, Phoenician and related cultures in North Africa and the Levant, often depicted with the head of a bull.

Corpus desk

Index EN-moloch · Moloch · English

Moloch · rank #58,208 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,208
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH mohair

Nearest frequency peer: mohair (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “Moloch”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “Moloch” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Moloch
PropertyValue
HeadwordMoloch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈməʊlɒk/
Letters6
Frequency rank#58,208
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “Moloch” in English

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “mohair” (#58,207), “monarchist” (#58,209), “mochi” (#58,206). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “Moloch” is #58,208. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Moloch is uncommon English at frequency #58,208 among 4,057 “M” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈməʊlɒk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for Moloch, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From the Proto-Semitic *malk- (“king”). The figurative sense derives from the Old Testament, in which it is alleged that the cult of Moloch involved the sacrifice of human children. The correct English form is Moloch, spelled M-O-L-O-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    An ancient Ammonite deity worshiped by the Canaanites, Phoenician and related cultures in North Africa and the Levant, often depicted with the head of a bull.
  2. 2
    A person or thing demanding or requiring a very costly sacrifice.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [W]e can't without wonder remember that horrid Invention projected in this place, but thanks be to God diſappointed, wherein there was not Reverence to the ſacred Bones of Princes, but all were at one blaſt to be offer'd up to Moloch.
  2. They [bankers] would do what has been done by the Bank of France—buy bullion at a premium, on the approach of danger, and keep peril at a safe and respectable distance. Any expenditure that might be incurred for that purpose would be small indeed when contrasted with the immense loss and suffering caused by the present system, and the continual fear in wh…

Etymology

From the Proto-Semitic *malk- (“king”). The figurative sense derives from the Old Testament, in which it is alleged that the cult of Moloch involved the sacrifice of human children.

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 "Moloch"?
"Moloch" is spelled M-O-L-O-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈməʊlɒk/.
What does "Moloch" mean?
As a proper noun, "Moloch" means: An ancient Ammonite deity worshiped by the Canaanites, Phoenician and related cultures in North Africa and the Levant, often depicted with the head of a bull.
How do you pronounce "Moloch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Moloch" is /ˈməʊlɒk/. 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 "Moloch"?
From the Proto-Semitic *malk- (“king”). The figurative sense derives from the Old Testament, in which it is alleged that the cult of Moloch involved the sacrifice of human children. 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 "Moloch", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

mohair#58,207Murrow#58,221McKean#58,189Narita#58,227

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list