mayhem
may·hem/ˈmeɪˌ(h)ɛm/noun
mayhem is spelled M-A-Y-H-E-M: 6 letters and 2 syllables (may·hem). It appears 2.8 times per million words in written English, the 16,005th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, mayhem means “The criminal offence of maiming (“seriously wounding”) a person such that their ability to defend or protect themselves is weakened or completely…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of mayhem is mayhems.
How many letters and syllables are in mayhem?
| Letters | 6: M-A-Y-H-E-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: may·hem |
| In writing | 2.8 times per million words; the 16,005th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is mayhem?
Mayhem appears 2.8 times per million words in written English, the 16,005th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce mayhem?
- UK /ˈmeɪhɛm/
- US /ˈmeɪˌ(h)ɛm/
- [ˈmeɪ̯ˌhɪ̟m]
Mayhem has 2 syllables, split may·hem in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-mayhem.wav, En-us-mayhem.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of mayhem
- mayhems plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- maihem
- mayheming participle, present
- mayhemed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does mayhem mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
UKThe criminal offence of maiming (“seriously wounding”) a person such that their ability to defend or protect themselves is weakened or completely removed; (countable) an instance of this.
to commit mayhem
- 2
USThe criminal offence of maiming a person by depriving them of the use of any of their limbs.
- 3
Often preceded by to cause or make: great confusion, destruction, disorder, or trouble; chaos, turmoil; (countable) an instance of this.
In all the mayhem, some children were separated from their parents.
- 4
Violent conduct, especially the violent infliction of injury on a person or thing.
The fighting dogs created mayhem in the flower beds.
verb
- 1
archaicTo commit the criminal offence of mayhem (noun sense 1) on (someone); to maim.
- 2
archaicTo violently inflict injury on (someone); to injure, to wound.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Mayhem in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Verstümmelung , Chaos |
| Spanish | mutilación criminal , alboroto, caos, julepe, quilombo, tumulto |
| French | chaos, désordre, grabuge, tumulte , dévastation, mutilation |
| Portuguese | alvoroço, caos, confusão, desordem, tumulto |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does mayhem come from?
The noun is derived from Late Middle English mayehem, maihem, a late form of maym, maim (“disfigurement, injury, mutilation; disfigured person”) (whence modern English maim (noun)), from Anglo-Norman mahaim, mahainne (“mutilation”), and Old French mehaing, meshaing (“bodily harm, loss of limb”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).