monster

/ˈmɒnstə(ɹ)/

//ˈmɒnstə(ɹ)// noun

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

"monster" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“monster” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,074. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,074
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or mythical kind.

Corpus desk

Index EN-monster · monster · English

monster · rank #3,074 · 11 variants · 18 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,074
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 18 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH marks

Nearest frequency peer: marks (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “monster”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “monster” 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).

monster vs monte
71% similar
monster vs moser
71% similar
monster vs muster
71% similar

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

Key facts for monster
PropertyValue
Headwordmonster
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɒnstə(ɹ)/
Letters7
Frequency rank#3,074
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “monster”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “marks” (#3,073), “obtained” (#3,075), “Korean” (#3,072). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “monster” is #3,074. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around monster (IPA /ˈmɒnstə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #3,074 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for monster, with forms such as "mmonster", "mnoster", and "monnster". 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. It also participates in 18 confusable-pair relationships, "monte", "moser", "muster", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English monstre, from Old French monstre, mostre, moustre, from Latin mōnstrum. The correct English form is monster, spelled M-O-N-S-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or mythical kind.
  2. 2
    A terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or mythical kind.
  3. 3
    A terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or mythical kind.
  4. 4
    A terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or mythical kind.
  5. 5
    A creature of unnatural or highly unusual shape or form (which makes a frightening or unpleasant impression).
  6. 6
    A creature of unnatural or highly unusual shape or form (which makes a frightening or unpleasant impression).
  7. 7
    A creature of unnatural or highly unusual shape or form (which makes a frightening or unpleasant impression).
  8. 8
    A bizarre or whimsical creature.
  9. 9
    A non-player character that player(s) fight against in role-playing games; a mob

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. O, 'twas a din to fright a monster's ear,/ to make an earthquake.
  2. [T]he monſter [sc. a tiger], rouſed by the noiſe, ſtarted forward, preſented ſuch a viſage of horror, and raiſed ſuch a hideous roar, that the hearts of the bold were contracted, and the nerves of the valiant unſtrung.

Etymology

From Middle English monstre, from Old French monstre, mostre, moustre, from Latin mōnstrum.

Synonyms

monstrosity

This word in other languages

monstruo(Español)monstre(Français)Monster(Deutsch)monstro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mmonster
  • mnoster
  • monnster
  • monsetr
  • monsster
  • monsterr
  • monstre
  • monstter
  • montser
  • mosnter
  • omnster

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of monster - 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.

mmonster1mnoster2monnster1monsetr2monsster1monsterr1monstre2monstter1
Edit distance from "monster"

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 "monster"?
"monster" is spelled M-O-N-S-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɒnstə(ɹ)/.
What does "monster" mean?
As a noun, "monster" means: A terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or mythical kind.
What words are commonly confused with "monster"?
"monster" is commonly confused with "monte", "moser", "muster". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "monster"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "monster" is /ˈmɒnstə(ɹ)/. 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 "monster"?
From Middle English monstre, from Old French monstre, mostre, moustre, from Latin mōnstrum. 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 "monster", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Olympic#3,076highway#3,063gallery#3,062speaker#3,088

Similar misspelling depth

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

obtained11 variantsinitially11 variantswanting11 variantsachieved11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list