mossy

/ˈmɒsi/

//ˈmɒsi// adj

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

"mossy" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mossy” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #44,946. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#44,946
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Covered in or overgrown with moss.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mossy · mossy · English

mossy · rank #44,946 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #44,946
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH Murad

Nearest frequency peer: Murad (+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 “mossy”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “mossy” 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).

mossy vs Mss
40% similar
mossy vs most
60% similar
mossy vs mouse
60% similar

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

Key facts for mossy
PropertyValue
Headwordmossy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈmɒsi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#44,946
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mossy”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).mossylands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Murad” (#44,947), “muslin” (#44,948), “myopic” (#44,949). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mossy” is #44,946. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around mossy (IPA /ˈmɒsi/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #44,946 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Covered in or overgrown with moss.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for mossy, with forms such as "mmossy", "mossyy", and "mosy". 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 also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Mss", "most", "mouse", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mossy, equivalent to moss + -y. The correct English form is mossy, spelled M-O-S-S-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Covered in or overgrown with moss.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The moſſy pales that ſkirt the orchard-green, / Here hid by ſhrub-vvood, there by glimpſes ſeen; […]
  2. A Violet by a mossy stone / Half-hidden from the Eye! / —Fair, as a star when only one / Is shining in the sky!

Etymology

From Middle English mossy, equivalent to moss + -y.

This word in other languages

moussu(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mmossy
  • mossyy
  • mosy
  • mosys
  • msosy
  • omssy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mmossy1mossyy1mosy1mosys2msosy2omssy2
Edit distance from "mossy"

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 "mossy"?
"mossy" is spelled M-O-S-S-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɒsi/.
What does "mossy" mean?
As an adjective, "mossy" means: Covered in or overgrown with moss.
What words are commonly confused with "mossy"?
"mossy" is commonly confused with "Mss", "most", "mouse". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mossy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mossy" is /ˈmɒsi/. 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 "mossy"?
From Middle English mossy, equivalent to moss + -y. 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 "mossy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Murad#44,947Meena#44,932NORAD#44,967mamba#44,919

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Nikkei6 variantsmarg6 variantsLivy6 variantspasts6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list