Moriarty

Name: Moriarty, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈmɔːɹiɑː(ɹ)ti/

//ˈmɔːɹiɑː(ɹ)ti// name

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“Moriarty” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,750. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,750
frequency rank, English: 36,575
“M” headwords: 12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A surname from Irish.

Key facts for Moriarty
Property	Value
Headword	Moriarty
Language	English
Part of speech	Proper noun
IPA	/ˈmɔːɹiɑː(ɹ)ti/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#29,750
Misspellings tracked	12
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Moriarty” 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). Moriarty lands here:

#29,750

#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 12 spelling variants around Moriarty (IPA /ˈmɔːɹiɑː(ɹ)ti/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #29,750 among 36,575 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for Moriarty, with forms such as "mmoriarty", "moirarty", and "morairty". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Irish Ó Muircheartaigh (“descendant of Muircheartach”), a name from muir (“sea”) + ceardaí (“craftsman”). The correct English form is Moriarty, spelled M-O-R-I-A-R-T-Y.

Definition

1
A surname from Irish.
2
Professor James Moriarty, fictional archenemy and nemesis of Sherlock Holmes; by extension any such archenemy or nemesis.
3
A city in Torrance County, New Mexico, United States.
4
A locality in Latrobe council area, Tasmania, Australia.

Etymology

From Irish Ó Muircheartaigh (“descendant of Muircheartach”), a name from muir (“sea”) + ceardaí (“craftsman”).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

mmoriarty
moirarty
morairty
moriarrty
moriartty
moriartyy
moriaryt
moriatry
moriraty
morriarty
mroiarty
omriarty

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "Moriarty"

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 "Moriarty"?

"Moriarty" is spelled M-O-R-I-A-R-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɔːɹiɑː(ɹ)ti/.

What does "Moriarty" mean?

As a proper noun, "Moriarty" means: A surname from Irish.

What are common misspellings of "Moriarty"?

Common misspellings include "mmoriarty", "moirarty", "morairty", "moriarrty", "moriartty". The correct spelling is "Moriarty".

How do you pronounce "Moriarty"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Moriarty" is /ˈmɔːɹiɑː(ɹ)ti/. 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 "Moriarty"?

From Irish Ó Muircheartaigh (“descendant of Muircheartach”), a name from muir (“sea”) + ceardaí (“craftsman”). 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 “Moriarty”

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

The one correct English spelling is M-O-R-I-A-R-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈmɔːɹiɑː(ɹ)ti/ (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

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.