# mensch

> English word · Noun · IPA /mɛnt͡ʃ/ · frequency rank #49,488

## Definitions
1. A person (chiefly male) of strength, integrity, and honor or compassion; a gentleman.

## Etymology
From Yiddish מענטש (mentsh, “an honorable person”), from Middle High German mensch, mensche, mennische, from Old High German mennisko (“man, human being”), from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”). The spelling mensch was influenced by German Mensch; compare the alternative spellings. Doublet of mennish; compare also mense. For the semantics, compare Latin humanē (“kindly, courteously”), English humane.

## Easily confused with
- **mesh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mensch-vs-mesh)
- **merch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mensch-vs-merch)
- **munch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mensch-vs-munch)
- **Munich** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mensch-vs-munich)
- **mens** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mens-vs-mensch)
- **mech** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mech-vs-mensch)
- **Mensa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mensa-vs-mensch)
- **menace** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/menace-vs-mensch)

## Common misspellings (10)
`emnsch`, `mencsh`, `mennsch`, `menscch`, `menschh`, `menshc`, `menssch`, `mesnch`, `mmensch`, `mnesch`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mensch