mook

/muːk/

//muːk// noun

"mook" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mook” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #48,363. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#48,363
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A disagreeable or incompetent person.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mook vs MoS
25% similar
mook vs mop
50% similar
mook vs MOR
0% similar

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

Key facts for mook
PropertyValue
Headwordmook
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/muːk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#48,363
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mook” 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). mook lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around mook (IPA /muːk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #48,363 among 36,575 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for mook, with forms such as "mmook", "mok", and "moko". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "MoS", "mop", "MOR", 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 the 1930s, origin unknown. Suggestions include a variant of British slang moke (“donkey”); a variant of US slang mooch (“a sponger, beggar, idler”); Irish muc (“pig”); Dutch mok, German Mocke, Mucke (both dialectal for “sow” and hence “slovenly or both… The correct English form is mook, spelled M-O-O-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A disagreeable or incompetent person.
  2. 2
    An anonymous foe that appears in large numbers and is readily dispatched by the hero.

Etymology

From the 1930s, origin unknown. Suggestions include a variant of British slang moke (“donkey”); a variant of US slang mooch (“a sponger, beggar, idler”); Irish muc (“pig”); Dutch mok, German Mocke, Mucke (both dialectal for “sow” and hence “slovenly or bothersome woman/person”); a corruption of Italian mammalucco (“fool”, literally “mamluk”).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mmook
  • mok
  • moko
  • mookk
  • omok

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mook - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

mmook1mok1moko2mookk1omok2
Edit distance from "mook"

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 "mook"?
"mook" is spelled M-O-O-K. The IPA pronunciation is /muːk/.
What does "mook" mean?
As a noun, "mook" means: A disagreeable or incompetent person.
What words are commonly confused with "mook"?
"mook" is commonly confused with "MoS", "mop", "MOR". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mook"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mook" is /muːk/. 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 "mook"?
From the 1930s, origin unknown. Suggestions include a variant of British slang moke (“donkey”); a variant of US slang mooch (“a sponger, beggar, idler”); Irish muc (“pig”); Dutch mok, German Mocke, Mucke (both dialectal for “sow” and hence “sloven... 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 “mook”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-O-O-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /muːk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “MoS” - see the side-by-side comparison. mook vs MoS
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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