muscle

/ˈmʌs.əl/

//ˈmʌs.əl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“muscle” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,379 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,379
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

muscle vs muse
67% similar
muscle vs muzzle
67% similar
muscle vs muscles
86% similar

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

Key facts for muscle
PropertyValue
Headwordmuscle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmʌs.əl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,379
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “muscle” 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). muscle 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 muscle is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmʌs.əl/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,379 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for muscle, with forms such as "mmuscle", "msucle", and "mucsle". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "muse", "muzzle", "muscles", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English muscle, muscule, muskylle, and in part from Middle French muscle, from Latin mūsculus (“a muscle”, literally “little mouse”) because of the mouselike appearance of some muscles, from mūs (“mouse”). Doublet of mussel. More at mouse. The correct English form is muscle, spelled M-U-S-C-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement.
  2. 2
    An organ composed of muscle tissue.
  3. 3
    A well-developed physique, in which the muscles are enlarged from exercise.
  4. 4
    Strength, force.
  5. 5
    Hired strongmen or bodyguards.

Etymology

From Middle English muscle, muscule, muskylle, and in part from Middle French muscle, from Latin mūsculus (“a muscle”, literally “little mouse”) because of the mouselike appearance of some muscles, from mūs (“mouse”). Doublet of mussel. More at mouse.

This word in other languages

músculo(Español)muscle(Français)Muskel(Deutsch)músculo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mmuscle,msucle,mucsle,musccle,muscel,musclle,muslce,musscle,umscle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mmuscle1msucle2mucsle2musccle1muscel2musclle1muslce2musscle1
Edit distance from "muscle"

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 "muscle"?
"muscle" is spelled M-U-S-C-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmʌs.əl/.
What does "muscle" mean?
As a noun, "muscle" means: A contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement.
What words are commonly confused with "muscle"?
"muscle" is commonly confused with "muse", "muzzle", "muscles". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "muscle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "muscle" is /ˈmʌs.əl/. 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 "muscle"?
From Middle English muscle, muscule, muskylle, and in part from Middle French muscle, from Latin mūsculus (“a muscle”, literally “little mouse”) because of the mouselike appearance of some muscles, from mūs (“mouse”). Doublet of mussel. More at mo... 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 “muscle”

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

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