monochrome
/ˈmɒn.əˌkɹəʊm/
"monochrome" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“monochrome” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,568 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #27,568
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
- 15
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A black and white image, especially such a photograph.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | monochrome |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈmɒn.əˌkɹəʊm/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #27,568 |
| Misspellings tracked | 15 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “monochrome” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for monochrome is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɒn.əˌkɹəʊm/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,568 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for monochrome, with forms such as "mmonochrome", "mnoochrome", and "moncohrome". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek μονόχρωμος (monókhrōmos), from μόνος (mónos, “one”) + χρῶμα (khrôma, “color”); mono- + -chrome. The correct English form is monochrome, spelled M-O-N-O-C-H-R-O-M-E.
Definition
- 1A black and white image, especially such a photograph.
- 2A painting executed in shades of a single colour.
- 3A ceramic glaze of a single colour; an object so glazed.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek μονόχρωμος (monókhrōmos), from μόνος (mónos, “one”) + χρῶμα (khrôma, “color”); mono- + -chrome.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: mmonochrome,mnoochrome,moncohrome,monnochrome,monocchrome,monochhrome,monochorme,monochrmoe,monochroem,monochromme,monochrrome,monocrhome,monohcrome,moonchrome,omnochrome
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of monochrome - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 "monochrome"?
What does "monochrome" mean?
What are common misspellings of "monochrome"?
How do you pronounce "monochrome"?
What is the origin of the word "monochrome"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “monochrome”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is M-O-N-O-C-H-R-O-M-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈmɒn.əˌkɹəʊm/ (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.