mutual

/ˈmjuːt͡ʃuəl/

//ˈmjuːt͡ʃuəl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“mutual” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,616. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,616
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having the same relationship, each to each other.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mutual · mutual · English

mutual · rank #4,616 · 8 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,616
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH mounted

Nearest frequency peer: mounted (-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 “mutual”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “mutual” 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).

mutual vs mutually
75% similar
mutual vs metal
67% similar
mutual vs mural
67% similar

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

Key facts for mutual
PropertyValue
Headwordmutual
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈmjuːt͡ʃuəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#4,616
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mutual”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).mutuallands 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 “mounted” (#4,615), “nope” (#4,617), “Missouri” (#4,614). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mutual” is #4,616. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around mutual (IPA /ˈmjuːt͡ʃuəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #4,616 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for mutual, with forms such as "mmutual", "mtuual", and "mutaul". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "mutually", "metal", "mural", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French mutuel, from Latin mūtuus. The correct English form is mutual, spelled M-U-T-U-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having the same relationship, each to each other.
  2. 2
    Collective, done or held in common.
  3. 3
    Reciprocal.
  4. 4
    Possessed in common.
  5. 5
    Owned by the members.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. They were mutual enemies.
  2. Mutual insurance.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French mutuel, from Latin mūtuus.

Synonyms

sharedjointreciprocativereciprocal

This word in other languages

mutuo(Español)mutuel(Français)wechselseitig(Deutsch)recíproco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mmutual
  • mtuual
  • mutaul
  • muttual
  • mutuall
  • mutula
  • muutal
  • umtual

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mutual - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

mmutual1mtuual2mutaul2muttual1mutuall1mutula2muutal2umtual2
Edit distance from "mutual"

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 "mutual"?
"mutual" is spelled M-U-T-U-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmjuːt͡ʃuəl/.
What does "mutual" mean?
As an adjective, "mutual" means: Having the same relationship, each to each other.
What words are commonly confused with "mutual"?
"mutual" is commonly confused with "mutually", "metal", "mural". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mutual"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mutual" is /ˈmjuːt͡ʃuəl/. 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 "mutual"?
Borrowed from Middle French mutuel, from Latin mūtuus. 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 "mutual", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

pursue#4,624fiscal#4,604ruined#4,631terror#4,637

Similar misspelling depth

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

offense8 variantsstays8 variantswaited8 variantsautumn8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list