amidst

/aˈmɪdst/

//aˈmɪdst// prep

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

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

The verdict

“amidst” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,657. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,657
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among.

Corpus desk

Index EN-amidst · amidst · English

amidst · rank #13,657 · 9 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #13,657
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Alps

Nearest frequency peer: Alps (-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 “amidst”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “amidst” 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).

amidst vs amit
67% similar
amidst vs Amis
50% similar
amidst vs Amish
50% similar

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

Key facts for amidst
PropertyValue
Headwordamidst
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPreposition
IPA/aˈmɪdst/
Letters6
Frequency rank#13,657
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “amidst”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Alps” (#13,656), “antarctic” (#13,658), “antibodies” (#13,659). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “amidst” is #13,657. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around amidst (IPA /aˈmɪdst/), apreposition. Corpus frequency is #13,657 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Dominant gloss: "In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for amidst, with forms such as "aimdst", "amdist", and "amiddst". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "amit", "Amis", "Amish", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From amids + -t (excrescent), from amid + -s (genitive). By surface analysis, amid + -st (excrescent). Root amid from Middle English amidde, amiddes, on midden, from Old English on middan (“in the middle”), from midd (“central”) (English mid). The correct English form is amidst, spelled A-M-I-D-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Be a philosopher ; but amidst all your philosophy, be still a man.
  2. Not so, however, with Tarzan, the man-child. His life amidst the dangers of the jungle had taught him to meet emergencies with self-confidence, and his higher intelligence resulted in a quickness of mental action far beyond the powers of the apes.

Etymology

From amids + -t (excrescent), from amid + -s (genitive). By surface analysis, amid + -st (excrescent). Root amid from Middle English amidde, amiddes, on midden, from Old English on middan (“in the middle”), from midd (“central”) (English mid).

This word in other languages

entre(Español)au milieu de(Français)inmitten(Deutsch)entre(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aimdst
  • amdist
  • amiddst
  • amidsst
  • amidstt
  • amidts
  • amisdt
  • ammidst
  • maidst

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of amidst - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

aimdst2amdist2amiddst1amidsst1amidstt1amidts2amisdt2ammidst1
Edit distance from "amidst"

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 "amidst"?
"amidst" is spelled A-M-I-D-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /aˈmɪdst/.
What does "amidst" mean?
As a preposition, "amidst" means: In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among.
What words are commonly confused with "amidst"?
"amidst" is commonly confused with "amit", "Amis", "Amish". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "amidst"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "amidst" is /aˈmɪdst/. 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 "amidst"?
From amids + -t (excrescent), from amid + -s (genitive). By surface analysis, amid + -st (excrescent). Root amid from Middle English amidde, amiddes, on midden, from Old English on middan (“in the middle”), from midd (“central”) (English mid). 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 "amidst", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Aleppo#13,654barbie#13,665batter#13,666Baxter#13,667

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Armenia9 variantswinger9 variantswellness9 variantsbraves9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list