mutator

/ˈmjuteɪtɚ/

//ˈmjuteɪtɚ// noun

"mutator" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mutator” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - That which causes mutation or change.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mutator · mutator · English

mutator · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "M" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for mutator
PropertyValue
Headwordmutator
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmjuteɪtɚ/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “mutator” in English

mutatorsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

mutator is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmjuteɪtɚ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for mutator in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From mutate + -or. The video gaming sense likely originated in the video game Unreal Tournament (1999). The correct English form is mutator, spelled M-U-T-A-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    That which causes mutation or change.
  2. 2
    A setting which alters specific gameplay mechanics, such as rules, physics, or abilities.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In object-oriented programming, the mutator function changes the value of the field that gives its name.
  2. Rocket League will gain match-modifying mutators […] The football-meets-cars mashup will let you toggle on gameplay-changing settings such as low gravity, time warping and explosions.

Etymology

From mutate + -or. The video gaming sense likely originated in the video game Unreal Tournament (1999).

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mutator"?
"mutator" is spelled M-U-T-A-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmjuteɪtɚ/.
What does "mutator" mean?
As a noun, "mutator" means: That which causes mutation or change.
How do you pronounce "mutator"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mutator" is /ˈmjuteɪtɚ/. 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 "mutator"?
From mutate + -or. The video gaming sense likely originated in the video game Unreal Tournament (1999). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list