admire

/ədˈmaɪə/

//ədˈmaɪə// verb

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

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

The verdict

“admire” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,412 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#7,412
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To be amazed at; to view with surprise; to marvel at.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

admire vs amir
67% similar
admire vs admit
67% similar
admire vs adore
67% similar

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

Key facts for admire
PropertyValue
Headwordadmire
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ədˈmaɪə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#7,412
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “admire” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). admire lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for admire is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ədˈmaɪə/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,412 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for admire, with forms such as "addmire", "adimre", and "admier". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 17 confusable-pair relationships, "amir", "admit", "adore", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English admyren, borrowed from Middle French admirer, from Latin admīror, from ad + mīror (“wonder at”). The correct English form is admire, spelled A-D-M-I-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To be amazed at; to view with surprise; to marvel at.
  2. 2
    To regard with wonder and delight.
  3. 3
    To look upon with an elevated feeling of pleasure, as something which calls out approbation, esteem, love or reverence.
  4. 4
    To estimate or value highly; to hold in high esteem.
  5. 5
    To be enthusiastic about (doing something); to want or like (to do something). (Sometimes followed by to.)

Etymology

From Middle English admyren, borrowed from Middle French admirer, from Latin admīror, from ad + mīror (“wonder at”).

This word in other languages

admirar(Español)admirer(Français)bewundern(Deutsch)admirar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: addmire,adimre,admier,admirre,admmire,admrie,amdire,damire

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of admire - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

addmire1adimre2admier2admirre1admmire1admrie2amdire2damire2
Edit distance from "admire"

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 "admire"?
"admire" is spelled A-D-M-I-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ədˈmaɪə/.
What does "admire" mean?
As a verb, "admire" means: To be amazed at; to view with surprise; to marvel at.
What words are commonly confused with "admire"?
"admire" is commonly confused with "amir", "admit", "adore". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "admire"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "admire" is /ədˈmaɪə/. 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 "admire"?
From Middle English admyren, borrowed from Middle French admirer, from Latin admīror, from ad + mīror (“wonder at”). 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.

Using “admire”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-D-M-I-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ədˈmaɪə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “amir” - see the side-by-side comparison. admire vs amir
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list