most

/ˈməʊst/

//ˈməʊst// det

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

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

The verdict

“most” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #104. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#104
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - superlative degree of much.

Corpus desk

Index EN-most · most · English

most · rank #104 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #104
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH 2

Nearest frequency peer: 2 (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “most”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “most” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

most vs MS
0% similar
most vs MT
0% similar
most vs Mrs
25% similar

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

Key facts for most
PropertyValue
Headwordmost
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechDeterminer
IPA/ˈməʊst/
Letters4
Frequency rank#104
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “most” 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). most 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 6 spelling variants around most (IPA /ˈməʊst/), adeterminer. Corpus frequency is #104 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for most, with forms such as "mmost", "mosst", and "mostt". 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, "MS", "MT", "Mrs", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-der. Proto-Germanic *maiz Proto-Germanic *maistaz Proto-Germanic *maist Proto-West Germanic *maist Old English mǣst Middle English English most From Middle English most, moste, from Old English mǣst, māst, from Proto… The correct English form is most, spelled M-O-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    superlative degree of much.
  2. 2
    superlative degree of many: the comparatively largest number of (construed with the definite article)
  3. 3
    superlative degree of many: the majority of; more than half of (construed without the definite article)

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The teams competed to see who could collect (the) most money.
  2. I spent most time in Rome because most of Venice is flooded.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-der. Proto-Germanic *maiz Proto-Germanic *maistaz Proto-Germanic *maist Proto-West Germanic *maist Old English mǣst Middle English English most From Middle English most, moste, from Old English mǣst, māst, from Proto-Germanic *maistaz, *maist. Cognate with Scots mast, maist (“most”), Saterland Frisian maast (“most”), West Frisian meast (“most”), Dutch meest (“most”), German meist (“most”), Danish and Swedish mest (“most”), Icelandic mestur (“most”).

Synonyms

more than half ofalmost allthe majority of

This word in other languages

muchos(Español)mais(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mmost
  • mosst
  • mostt
  • mots
  • msot
  • omst

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mmost1mosst1mostt1mots2msot2omst2
Edit distance from "most"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "most"?
"most" is spelled M-O-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈməʊst/.
What does "most" mean?
As a determiner, "most" means: superlative degree of much.
What words are commonly confused with "most"?
"most" is commonly confused with "MS", "MT", "Mrs". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "most"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "most" is /ˈməʊst/. 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 "most"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-der. Proto-Germanic *maiz Proto-Germanic *maistaz Proto-Germanic *maist Proto-West Germanic *maist Old English mǣst Middle English English most From Middle English most, moste, from Old English mǣst, māst, ... 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 "most", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

much#105very#106even#108said#100

Similar misspelling depth

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

want6 variantsback6 variantswork6 variantsthen6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "most". Here's where to go from here.

  • "most" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "MS". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #104 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "M" letter cohort. M–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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