もずく

• めかぶ

  Mekabu is the ruffled part of wakame seaweed, while mozuku is a different species with a slimy texture.

• 昆こん布ぶ

  Konbu is a type of kelp used for dashi, whereas mozuku is a smaller, more mucilaginous seaweed eaten as a side dish.

• もずくUsage57%

  Usually written in kana; the kanji forms are rare and mainly used in specialized contexts.

• モズクUsage43%
  kana-only spelling

  Katakana spelling is sometimes used in menus or product labels.

• 水雲もずく

  Rare kanji form; may be encountered in traditional or literary contexts.

• 藻も付ずく

  Rare kanji form; literally 'attached to seaweed'.

• 海蘊もずく

  Rare kanji form; may appear in botanical or historical texts.

• 海雲もずく

  Rare kanji form; literally 'sea cloud'.

The origin is uncertain, but it may derive from 藻付く (mo tsuku), meaning 'seaweed that attaches', referring to its habit of growing on other seaweeds.