mullah

/ˈmʊ.lə/

//ˈmʊ.lə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“mullah” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #40,353 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#40,353
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An honorific title for a scholar of theology and sharia law.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mullah vs muller
67% similar
mullah vs mullen
67% similar
mullah vs mullet
67% similar

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

Key facts for mullah
PropertyValue
Headwordmullah
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmʊ.lə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#40,353
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mullah” 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). mullah 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 mullah is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmʊ.lə/. Corpus data places it at rank #40,353 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for mullah, with forms such as "mlulah", "mmullah", and "mulah". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "muller", "mullen", "mullet", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Derived from Classical Persian مُلَّا (mullā), from Arabic مَوْلًى (mawlan, “vicar, guardian”). The correct English form is mullah, spelled M-U-L-L-A-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    An honorific title for a scholar of theology and sharia law.
  2. 2
    An honorific title for a mosque leader.
  3. 3
    A scholar and teacher of theology and sharia law, and an issuer of fatwas.
  4. 4
    A conservative Muslim leader or cleric, especially one who is hostile against other religions.
  5. 5
    A Muslim.
  6. 6
    A low-level cleric who specializes in telling stories of Ashura, rather than teaching or issuing fatwas.
  7. 7
    A low-level cleric who specializes in telling stories of Ashura, rather than teaching or issuing fatwas. See also: ruhani

Etymology

Derived from Classical Persian مُلَّا (mullā), from Arabic مَوْلًى (mawlan, “vicar, guardian”).

This word in other languages

mulá(Español)mollah(Français)Mullah(Deutsch)mulá(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mlulah,mmullah,mulah,mulalh,mullahh,mullha,umllah

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mullah - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

mlulah2mmullah1mulah1mulalh2mullahh1mullha2umllah2
Edit distance from "mullah"

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 "mullah"?
"mullah" is spelled M-U-L-L-A-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmʊ.lə/.
What does "mullah" mean?
As a noun, "mullah" means: An honorific title for a scholar of theology and sharia law.
What words are commonly confused with "mullah"?
"mullah" is commonly confused with "muller", "mullen", "mullet". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mullah"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mullah" is /ˈmʊ.lə/. 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 "mullah"?
Derived from Classical Persian مُلَّا (mullā), from Arabic مَوْلًى (mawlan, “vicar, guardian”). 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 “mullah”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-U-L-L-A-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmʊ.lə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “muller” - see the side-by-side comparison. mullah vs muller
  • 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