multiply

/ˈmʌltɪplaɪ/

//ˈmʌltɪplaɪ// verb

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

"multiply" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“multiply” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,006. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,006
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To increase the amount, degree or number of (something).

Corpus desk

Index EN-multiply · multiply · English

multiply · rank #15,006 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,006
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH moth

Nearest frequency peer: moth (-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 “multiply”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “multiply” 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).

multiply vs multiple
88% similar
multiply vs multiplex
78% similar

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

Key facts for multiply
PropertyValue
Headwordmultiply
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈmʌltɪplaɪ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#15,006
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “multiply”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).multiplylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “moth” (#15,005), “MV” (#15,007), “monumental” (#15,004). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “multiply” is #15,006. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around multiply (IPA /ˈmʌltɪplaɪ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #15,006 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for multiply, with forms such as "mlutiply", "mmultiply", and "mulitply". 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, "multiple", "multiplex", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French multiplier, from Latin multiplicō, from multi (“many”) + plicō (“to fold”). The noun presumably derives from the verb. The correct English form is multiply, spelled M-U-L-T-I-P-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To increase the amount, degree or number of (something).
  2. 2
    To perform multiplication on (a number).
  3. 3
    To grow in number.
  4. 4
    To breed or propagate.
  5. 5
    To perform multiplication.
  6. 6
    To be a factor in a multiplication with (another factor).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The motives to refuse obedience to government are many and strong ; impunity will multiply and enforce them
  2. It would indeed be easy to multiply modern authorities respecting locustal food; one more authority shall suffice, from which it will appear that the Arabs make a sort of locust bread.

Etymology

From Old French multiplier, from Latin multiplicō, from multi (“many”) + plicō (“to fold”). The noun presumably derives from the verb.

Synonyms

manifold

This word in other languages

multiplicar(Español)multiplier(Français)vermehren(Deutsch)multiplicar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mlutiply
  • mmultiply
  • mulitply
  • mulltiply
  • multilpy
  • multiplly
  • multiplyy
  • multipply
  • multipyl
  • multpily
  • multtiply
  • mutliply
  • umltiply

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mlutiply2mmultiply1mulitply2mulltiply1multilpy2multiplly1multiplyy1multipply1
Edit distance from "multiply"

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 "multiply"?
"multiply" is spelled M-U-L-T-I-P-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmʌltɪplaɪ/.
What does "multiply" mean?
As a verb, "multiply" means: To increase the amount, degree or number of (something).
What words are commonly confused with "multiply"?
"multiply" is commonly confused with "multiple", "multiplex". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "multiply"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "multiply" is /ˈmʌltɪplaɪ/. 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 "multiply"?
From Old French multiplier, from Latin multiplicō, from multi (“many”) + plicō (“to fold”). The noun presumably derives from the verb. 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 "multiply", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

nuisance#15,011objected#15,013organise#15,015overload#15,018

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

obedience13 variantsobligated13 variantspaycheck13 variantsraspberry13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list