# might

> English word · Noun · IPA /maɪt/ · frequency rank #207

## Definitions
1. Power, strength, force, or influence held by a person or group.
2. Physical strength or force.
3. The ability to do something.

## Etymology
From Middle English myght, might (also maught, macht, maht), from Old English miht, mieht, meaht, mæht (“might, bodily strength, power, authority, ability, virtue, mighty work, miracle, angel”), from Proto-West Germanic *mahti, from Proto-Germanic *mahtiz, *mahtuz (“might, power”), from Proto-Indo-European *mógʰtis, *megʰ- (“to allow, be able, help”), corresponding to Germanic *maganą + *-þiz. Equivalent to may + -th.
Cognate with Scots micht, maucht (“might”), North Frisian macht (“might, ability”), West Frisian macht (“might, ability”), Dutch macht (“might, power”), German Macht (“power, might”), Swedish makt (“might”), Norwegian makt (“power”), Icelandic máttur (“might”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 (mahts), and further to Russian мочь (močʹ, “power, might”) and мощь (moščʹ, “force, strength”), Ukrainian міч (mič) and міць (micʹ, “power”), Bulgarian мощ (mošt, “power, might”), Serbo-Croatian moć (“power”), Czech moc (“power”), Polish moc (“power”). See more at may.

## Easily confused with
- **mit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/might-vs-mit)
- **mint** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/might-vs-mint)
- **mist** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/might-vs-mist)
- **mitt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/might-vs-mitt)
- **milt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/might-vs-milt)
- **Miho** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/might-vs-miho)
- **Misha** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/might-vs-misha)
- **Minot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/might-vs-minot)
- **mighty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/might-vs-mighty)
- **mite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/might-vs-mite)
- **mig** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mig-vs-might)
- **midst** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/midst-vs-might)
- **midget** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/midget-vs-might)

## Common misspellings (8)
`imght`, `mgiht`, `migght`, `mighht`, `mightt`, `migth`, `mihgt`, `mmight`

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