absent-minded
/ˌæb.sn̩tˈmaɪn.dɪd/
"absent-minded" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“absent-minded” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 13
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Absent in mind; often preoccupied; forgetful or careless due to distraction; easily distracted.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | absent-minded |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˌæb.sn̩tˈmaɪn.dɪd/ |
| Letters | 13 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “absent-minded” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for absent-minded is 13 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌæb.sn̩tˈmaɪn.dɪd/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Absent in mind; often preoccupied; forgetful or careless due to distraction; easily distracted.".
No generated misspelling entries exist for absent-minded in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From absent + minded. The correct English form is absent-minded, spelled A-B-S-E-N-T---M-I-N-D-E-D.
Definition
- 1Absent in mind; often preoccupied; forgetful or careless due to distraction; easily distracted.
Etymology
From absent + minded.
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
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Using “absent-minded”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-B-S-E-N-T---M-I-N-D-E-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌæb.sn̩tˈmaɪn.dɪd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.