# mildew

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmɪl.djuː/ · frequency rank #34,592

## Definitions
1. A growth of minute powdery or webby fungi, whitish or of different colors, found on various diseased or decaying substances.

## Etymology
From Middle English myldew, from Old English meledēaw, mildēaw, from Proto-West Germanic *milidauw, from *mili (“honey”) + *dauw (“dew”). Compare West Frisian moaldau, Dutch meeldauw, German Mehltau. More at dew.

## Easily confused with
- **mile** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mildew-vs-mile)
- **miles** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mildew-vs-miles)
- **Miley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mildew-vs-miley)
- **Milne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mildew-vs-milne)
- **mille** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mildew-vs-mille)
- **Miller** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mildew-vs-miller)
- **minded** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mildew-vs-minded)
- **mildly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mildew-vs-mildly)
- **Milner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mildew-vs-milner)
- **Mulder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mildew-vs-mulder)
- **millet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mildew-vs-millet)
- **milieu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mildew-vs-milieu)
- **milled** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mildew-vs-milled)
- **Mildred** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mildew-vs-mildred)
- **mild** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mildew)
- **Malden** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malden-vs-mildew)

## Common misspellings (9)
`imldew`, `midlew`, `milddew`, `mildeww`, `mildwe`, `miledw`, `milldew`, `mlidew`, `mmildew`

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