mongoose

/ˈmɒŋ.ɡuːs/

//ˈmɒŋ.ɡuːs// noun

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

"mongoose" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mongoose” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #43,266. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#43,266
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of several species of generalist predatory carnivores in the family Herpestidae; the various species range in size from rats to large cats. Indian mongooses are predators of venomous snakes, th...

Corpus desk

Index EN-mongoose · mongoose · English

mongoose · rank #43,266 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #43,266
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH motility

Nearest frequency peer: motility (+2 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “mongoose”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “mongoose” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mongoose vs Montrose
63% similar

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

Key facts for mongoose
PropertyValue
Headwordmongoose
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɒŋ.ɡuːs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#43,266
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mongoose”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “motility” (#43,268), “mews” (#43,263), “Moz” (#43,269). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mongoose” is #43,266. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around mongoose (IPA /ˈmɒŋ.ɡuːs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #43,266 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for mongoose, with forms such as "mmongoose", "mnogoose", and "mognoose". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Montrose", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in the 1690s. Borrowed from Portuguese manguço, from Marathi मुंगूस (muṅgūs), from Old Marathi 𑘦𑘳𑘽𑘐𑘳𑘭 (muṃgusa). Ultimately a Dravidian borrowing (compare Telugu ముంగిస (muṅgisa)), from Proto-Dravidian *mūnkūc- (“mongoose”). Spelling al… The correct English form is mongoose, spelled M-O-N-G-O-O-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of several species of generalist predatory carnivores in the family Herpestidae; the various species range in size from rats to large cats. Indian mongooses are predators of venomous snakes, though other mongoose species have similar habits.
  2. 2
    Any members of family Eupleridae of Malagasy mongooses, only distantly related to the Herpestidae, but resembling them in appearance and habits, with larger ears and ringed tails.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. After the mongoose had satisfied its appetite, we proceeded to examine with a pocket lens the wounds he had received from the cobra; and on cleansing one of these places, the lens disclosed the broken fang of the cobra deeply imbedded in the head of the mongoose... We have had the mongoose confined ever since (now four days' time), and it is as healthy an…
  2. He was a mongoose, rather like a little cat in his fur and his tail, but quite like a weasel in his head and his habits.

Etymology

First attested in the 1690s. Borrowed from Portuguese manguço, from Marathi मुंगूस (muṅgūs), from Old Marathi 𑘦𑘳𑘽𑘐𑘳𑘭 (muṃgusa). Ultimately a Dravidian borrowing (compare Telugu ముంగిస (muṅgisa)), from Proto-Dravidian *mūnkūc- (“mongoose”). Spelling altered by folk-etymological association with goose. Displaced native Old English nǣderbita (literally “snake biter”).

Synonyms

herpestid

This word in other languages

mangosta(Español)mangouste(Français)Manguste(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mmongoose
  • mnogoose
  • mognoose
  • monggoose
  • mongooes
  • mongoosse
  • mongose
  • mongosoe
  • monngoose
  • monogose
  • omngoose

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mongoose - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

mmongoose1mnogoose2mognoose2monggoose1mongooes2mongoosse1mongose1mongosoe2
Edit distance from "mongoose"

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 "mongoose"?
"mongoose" is spelled M-O-N-G-O-O-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɒŋ.ɡuːs/.
What does "mongoose" mean?
As a noun, "mongoose" means: Any of several species of generalist predatory carnivores in the family Herpestidae; the various species range in size from rats to large cats. Indian mongooses are predators of venomous snakes, th...
What words are commonly confused with "mongoose"?
"mongoose" is commonly confused with "Montrose". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mongoose"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mongoose" is /ˈmɒŋ.ɡuːs/. 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 "mongoose"?
First attested in the 1690s. Borrowed from Portuguese manguço, from Marathi मुंगूस (muṅgūs), from Old Marathi 𑘦𑘳𑘽𑘐𑘳𑘭 (muṃgusa). Ultimately a Dravidian borrowing (compare Telugu ముంగిస (muṅgisa)), from Proto-Dravidian *mūnkūc- (“mongoose”). S... 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 "mongoose", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

motility#43,268matchbox#43,255Magdalen#43,247longhorn#43,242

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

littlest11 variantsladybug11 variantsPashtun11 variantsimperium11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list