mushroom

/ˈmʌʃˌɹuːm/

//ˈmʌʃˌɹuːm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“mushroom” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,464. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,464
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of the fleshy fruiting bodies of fungi typically produced above ground on soil or on their food sources (such as decaying wood).

Corpus desk

Index EN-mushroom · mushroom · English

mushroom · rank #12,464 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,464
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH MP3

Nearest frequency peer: MP3 (-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 “mushroom”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “mushroom” 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
Key facts for mushroom
PropertyValue
Headwordmushroom
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmʌʃˌɹuːm/
Letters8
Frequency rank#12,464
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mushroom”

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).mushroomlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “MP3” (#12,463), “Naples” (#12,465), “morally” (#12,462). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mushroom” is #12,464. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around mushroom (IPA /ˈmʌʃˌɹuːm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,464 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for mushroom, with forms such as "mmushroom", "msuhroom", and "muhsroom". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English muscheron, musseron, from Anglo-Norman musherum, moscheron, from Old French moisseron, of obscure origin: probably derived from Old French mosse, moise ("moss"; whence also French mousse), as the use first applied to a type of fungus whi… The correct English form is mushroom, spelled M-U-S-H-R-O-O-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of the fleshy fruiting bodies of fungi typically produced above ground on soil or on their food sources (such as decaying wood).
  2. 2
    A fungus producing such fruiting bodies.
  3. 3
    Champignon or Agaricus bisporus, the mushroom species most commonly used in cooking.
  4. 4
    Any of the mushroom-shaped pegs in bar billiards.
  5. 5
    A concrete column with a thickened portion at the top, used to support a slab.
  6. 6
    One who rises suddenly from a low condition in life; an upstart.
  7. 7
    Something that grows very quickly or seems to appear suddenly.
  8. 8
    Ellipsis of mushroom cloud.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Some mushrooms are edible and taste good, while others are poisonous and taste foul.
  2. Arabs consider the eating of mushrooms as an aphrodisiac aid.

Etymology

From Middle English muscheron, musseron, from Anglo-Norman musherum, moscheron, from Old French moisseron, of obscure origin: probably derived from Old French mosse, moise ("moss"; whence also French mousse), as the use first applied to a type of fungus which grows in moss, from Frankish *mosu (“moss”) or Old Dutch *mosa (“moss”), akin to Old High German mosa (“moor, swamp”), Old High German mos (“moss, bog”), Old High German mios (“moss, mire”), Old English mēos (“moss”), Old English mōs (“bog, marsh”), Old Norse mosi (“moss”), Old Norse myrr (“bog, mire”), from Proto-Germanic *musą, *musô, *miuziz (“mosses, bog”), from Proto-Indo-European *mews- (“mosses, mold, mildew”). Displaced native Old English swamm. More at mire. Alternatively, the Old French may be of pre-Roman origin. See Ancient Greek μύκης (múkēs, “mushroom”). Doublet of moss and mousse.

This word in other languages

hongo(Español)champignon(Français)Pilz(Deutsch)cogumelo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mmushroom
  • msuhroom
  • muhsroom
  • mushhroom
  • mushorom
  • mushrom
  • mushromo
  • mushroomm
  • mushrroom
  • musrhoom
  • musshroom
  • umshroom

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mmushroom1msuhroom2muhsroom2mushhroom1mushorom2mushrom1mushromo2mushroomm1
Edit distance from "mushroom"

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 "mushroom"?
"mushroom" is spelled M-U-S-H-R-O-O-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmʌʃˌɹuːm/.
What does "mushroom" mean?
As a noun, "mushroom" means: Any of the fleshy fruiting bodies of fungi typically produced above ground on soil or on their food sources (such as decaying wood).
What are common misspellings of "mushroom"?
Common misspellings include "mmushroom", "msuhroom", "muhsroom", "mushhroom", "mushorom". The correct spelling is "mushroom".
How do you pronounce "mushroom"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mushroom" is /ˈmʌʃˌɹuːm/. 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 "mushroom"?
From Middle English muscheron, musseron, from Anglo-Norman musherum, moscheron, from Old French moisseron, of obscure origin: probably derived from Old French mosse, moise ("moss"; whence also French mousse), as the use first applied to a type of ... 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 "mushroom", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

maximize#12,461LinkedIn#12,458periodic#12,473inactive#12,443

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

occupying12 variantshalftime12 variantssaunders12 variantsgigantic12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list