mosaic

/məʊˈzeɪk/

//məʊˈzeɪk// noun

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

"mosaic" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mosaic” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,384 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,384
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A piece of artwork created by placing colored squares (usually tiles) in a pattern so as to create a picture.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mosaic vs music
67% similar
mosaic vs mystic
67% similar

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

Key facts for mosaic
PropertyValue
Headwordmosaic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/məʊˈzeɪk/
Letters6
Frequency rank#13,384
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mosaic” 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). mosaic lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for mosaic is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /məʊˈzeɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,384 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for mosaic, with forms such as "mmosaic", "moasic", and "mosaci". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "music", "mystic", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French mosaïque, from Italian mosaico, from Medieval Latin musaicum, from Late Latin musivum (opus), from Latin museum, musaeum, probably from Ancient Greek Μουσεῖον (Mouseîon), shrine of the Muses (Μοῦσα (Moûsa)). The correct English form is mosaic, spelled M-O-S-A-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    A piece of artwork created by placing colored squares (usually tiles) in a pattern so as to create a picture.
  2. 2
    Pixelization. (a method of censorship)
  3. 3
    An individual composed of two or more cell lines of different genetic or chromosomal constitution, but from the same zygote.
  4. 4
    Any of several viral diseases that cause mosaic-like patterns to appear on leaves.
  5. 5
    A composite picture made from overlapping photographs.
  6. 6
    Any composite structure made from diverse elements.

Etymology

From Middle French mosaïque, from Italian mosaico, from Medieval Latin musaicum, from Late Latin musivum (opus), from Latin museum, musaeum, probably from Ancient Greek Μουσεῖον (Mouseîon), shrine of the Muses (Μοῦσα (Moûsa)).

This word in other languages

mosaico(Español)mosaïque(Français)Mosaik(Deutsch)mosaico(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mmosaic,moasic,mosaci,mosaicc,mosiac,mossaic,msoaic,omsaic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mmosaic1moasic2mosaci2mosaicc1mosiac2mossaic1msoaic2omsaic2
Edit distance from "mosaic"

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 "mosaic"?
"mosaic" is spelled M-O-S-A-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /məʊˈzeɪk/.
What does "mosaic" mean?
As a noun, "mosaic" means: A piece of artwork created by placing colored squares (usually tiles) in a pattern so as to create a picture.
What words are commonly confused with "mosaic"?
"mosaic" is commonly confused with "music", "mystic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mosaic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mosaic" is /məʊˈzeɪk/. 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 "mosaic"?
From Middle French mosaïque, from Italian mosaico, from Medieval Latin musaicum, from Late Latin musivum (opus), from Latin museum, musaeum, probably from Ancient Greek Μουσεῖον (Mouseîon), shrine of the Muses (Μοῦσα (Moûsa)). 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 “mosaic”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-O-S-A-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /məʊˈzeɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “music” - see the side-by-side comparison. mosaic vs music
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list