mumps

/mʌmps/

//mʌmps// noun

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

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

The verdict

“mumps” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,683. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,683
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A contagious disease caused by the Mumps virus of the genus Rubulavirus, mostly occurring in childhood, which causes swelling of glands in the face and neck.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mumps · mumps · English

mumps · rank #36,683 · 8 variants · 12 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,683
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-MID 12 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH Mulan

Nearest frequency peer: Mulan (-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 “mumps”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “mumps” 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).

mumps vs mums
80% similar
mumps vs muses
60% similar
mumps vs mum
60% similar

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

Key facts for mumps
PropertyValue
Headwordmumps
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mʌmps/
Letters5
Frequency rank#36,683
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mumps”

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).mumpslands 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 “Mulan” (#36,682), “Mya” (#36,684), “mystics” (#36,685). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mumps” is #36,683. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around mumps (IPA /mʌmps/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #36,683 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for mumps, with forms such as "mmumps", "mmups", and "mummps". 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 12 confusable-pair relationships, "mums", "muses", "mum", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Circa 1600, from mump (“grimace”, noun), compare mump (verb), most likely referring to the painful difficulty in swallowing. The correct English form is mumps, spelled M-U-M-P-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A contagious disease caused by the Mumps virus of the genus Rubulavirus, mostly occurring in childhood, which causes swelling of glands in the face and neck.
  2. 2
    A gloomy or sullen silence.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. At issue is the so-called MMR vaccine, which immunizes children against measles, mumps and rubella, three potentially deadly diseases that were once common and have been mostly wiped out.

Etymology

Circa 1600, from mump (“grimace”, noun), compare mump (verb), most likely referring to the painful difficulty in swallowing.

This word in other languages

paperas(Español)oreillons(Français)Mumps(Deutsch)papeira(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mmumps
  • mmups
  • mummps
  • mumpps
  • mumpss
  • mumsp
  • mupms
  • ummps

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mmumps1mmups2mummps1mumpps1mumpss1mumsp2mupms2ummps2
Edit distance from "mumps"

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 "mumps"?
"mumps" is spelled M-U-M-P-S. The IPA pronunciation is /mʌmps/.
What does "mumps" mean?
As a noun, "mumps" means: A contagious disease caused by the Mumps virus of the genus Rubulavirus, mostly occurring in childhood, which causes swelling of glands in the face and neck.
What words are commonly confused with "mumps"?
"mumps" is commonly confused with "mums", "muses", "mum". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mumps"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mumps" is /mʌmps/. 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 "mumps"?
Circa 1600, from mump (“grimace”, noun), compare mump (verb), most likely referring to the painful difficulty in swallowing. 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 "mumps", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Mulan#36,682Ochoa#36,693mired#36,669Ozzie#36,698

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

pajama8 variantspawnee8 variantsMcNeill8 variantsPompeo8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list