mesmerism
/ˈmɛz.məˌɹɪz.əm/
"mesmerism" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“mesmerism” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The method or power of gaining control over someone's personality or actions, as in hypnosis or suggestion.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | mesmerism |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈmɛz.məˌɹɪz.əm/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “mesmerism” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
mesmerism is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmɛz.məˌɹɪz.əm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for mesmerism, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From French mesmérisme, analysable as Mesmer + -ism; so called after Franz Anton Mesmer (1734–1815), a German physician who developed the animal magnetism theory. The correct English form is mesmerism, spelled M-E-S-M-E-R-I-S-M.
Definition
- 1The method or power of gaining control over someone's personality or actions, as in hypnosis or suggestion.
- 2The state induced by hypnotic methods (especially that of Mesmer himself).
Etymology
From French mesmérisme, analysable as Mesmer + -ism; so called after Franz Anton Mesmer (1734–1815), a German physician who developed the animal magnetism theory.
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 “mesmerism”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is M-E-S-M-E-R-I-S-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈmɛz.məˌɹɪz.əm/ (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.