meth

/mɛθ/

//mɛθ// noun

"meth" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“meth” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,640 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,640
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Methamphetamine, especially in the form of the crystalline hydrochloride.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

meth vs MT
0% similar
meth vs MH
0% similar
meth vs mph
50% similar

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

Key facts for meth
PropertyValue
Headwordmeth
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mɛθ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#12,640
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “meth” 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). meth 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 meth is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /mɛθ/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,640 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Methamphetamine, especially in the form of the crystalline hydrochloride.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for meth, with forms such as "emth", "meht", and "methh". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "MT", "MH", "mph", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Clipping of methamphetamine. The correct English form is meth, spelled M-E-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Methamphetamine, especially in the form of the crystalline hydrochloride.

Etymology

Clipping of methamphetamine.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: emth,meht,methh,metth,mmeth,mteh

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of meth - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

emth2meht2methh1metth1mmeth1mteh2
Edit distance from "meth"

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 "meth"?
"meth" is spelled M-E-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /mɛθ/.
What does "meth" mean?
As a noun, "meth" means: Methamphetamine, especially in the form of the crystalline hydrochloride.
What words are commonly confused with "meth"?
"meth" is commonly confused with "MT", "MH", "mph". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "meth"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "meth" is /mɛθ/. 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 "meth"?
Clipping of methamphetamine. 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 “meth”

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

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