mucky

/ˈmʌki/

//ˈmʌki// adj

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

The verdict

“mucky” is an uncommon English word, ranked #67,662 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#67,662
frequency rank, English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Covered in muck.

Key facts for mucky
PropertyValue
Headwordmucky
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈmʌki/
Letters5
Frequency rank#67,662
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mucky” 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). mucky 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 mucky is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmʌki/. Corpus data places it at rank #67,662 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

mucky doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From muck + -y. The correct English form is mucky, spelled M-U-C-K-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Covered in muck.
  2. 2
    Obscene, pornographic.

Etymology

From muck + -y.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

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 "mucky"?
"mucky" is spelled M-U-C-K-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmʌki/.
What does "mucky" mean?
As an adjective, "mucky" means: Covered in muck.
How do you pronounce "mucky"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mucky" is /ˈmʌki/. 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 "mucky"?
From muck + -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.

Using “mucky”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-U-C-K-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmʌki/ (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
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