monad

/ˈmɒnæd/

//ˈmɒnæd// noun

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

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

The verdict

“monad” is an uncommon English word, ranked #63,086 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#63,086
frequency rank, English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One thing, one being, one item.

Key facts for monad
PropertyValue
Headwordmonad
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɒnæd/
Letters5
Frequency rank#63,086
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “monad” 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). monad 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 monad is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɒnæd/. Corpus data places it at rank #63,086 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

monad has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin monas (“unit”) (from Ancient Greek μονάς (monás), from μόνος (mónos), from Proto-Indo-European *men-). By surface analysis, mono- + -ad. The correct English form is monad, spelled M-O-N-A-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    One thing, one being, one item.
  2. 2
    A group of entities or items treated as one entity.
  3. 3
    An ultimate atom, or simple, unextended point; something ultimate and indivisible.
  4. 4
    A single individual (such as a pollen grain) that is free from others, not united in a group.
  5. 5
    A single-celled organism. (See Monas.)
  6. 6
    A monoid object in the category of endofunctors of a fixed category.
  7. 7
    A data type which represents a specific form of computation, along with the operations "return" and "bind".

Etymology

From Latin monas (“unit”) (from Ancient Greek μονάς (monás), from μόνος (mónos), from Proto-Indo-European *men-). By surface analysis, mono- + -ad.

This word in other languages

mónada(Español)monade(Français)Monade(Deutsch)

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 "monad"?
"monad" is spelled M-O-N-A-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɒnæd/.
What does "monad" mean?
As a noun, "monad" means: One thing, one being, one item.
How do you pronounce "monad"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "monad" is /ˈmɒnæd/. 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 "monad"?
From Latin monas (“unit”) (from Ancient Greek μονάς (monás), from μόνος (mónos), from Proto-Indo-European *men-). By surface analysis, mono- + -ad. 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 “monad”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-O-N-A-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmɒnæd/ (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
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