mind

/maɪnd/

//maɪnd// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

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

The verdict

“mind” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #378 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#378
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The capability for rational thought.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mind vs MN
0% similar
mind vs mix
50% similar
mind vs MUD
0% similar

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

Key facts for mind
PropertyValue
Headwordmind
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/maɪnd/
Letters4
Frequency rank#378
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mind” 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). mind 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 mind is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /maɪnd/. Corpus data places it at rank #378 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for mind, with forms such as "imnd", "midn", and "mindd". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "MN", "mix", "MUD", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English minde, munde, imynde, imunde, ȝemynde, ȝemunde, from Old English mynd, ġemynd (“mind, memory”), from Proto-West Germanic *mundi, *gamundi, from Proto-Germanic *mundiz, *gamundiz (“memory, remembrance”), from Proto-Indo-European *méntis (… The correct English form is mind, spelled M-I-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    The capability for rational thought.
  2. 2
    The ability to be aware of things.
  3. 3
    The ability to remember things.
  4. 4
    The ability to focus the thoughts.
  5. 5
    Somebody that embodies certain mental qualities.
  6. 6
    Judgment, opinion, or view.
  7. 7
    Desire, inclination, or intention.
  8. 8
    A healthy mental state.
  9. 9
    The non-material substance or set of processes in which consciousness, perception, affectivity, judgement, thinking, and will are based.
  10. 10
    Continual prayer on a dead person's behalf for a period after their death.
  11. 11
    Attention, consideration or thought.

Etymology

From Middle English minde, munde, imynde, imunde, ȝemynde, ȝemunde, from Old English mynd, ġemynd (“mind, memory”), from Proto-West Germanic *mundi, *gamundi, from Proto-Germanic *mundiz, *gamundiz (“memory, remembrance”), from Proto-Indo-European *méntis (“thought”) (compare also mantis, via Greek), from the root *men- (“to think”). Cognate with Old High German gimunt ("mind, memory, remembrance"; Middle High German munst (“love, benevolence, joy”)), Old Norse mynd (“image, model”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌳𐍃 (gamunds, “remembrance, memory, mind”). Related also to Danish minde (“memory”), Swedish minne (“memory”), Icelandic minni (“memory, recall, recollection”), Latin mēns (“mind, reason”), Sanskrit मनस् (mánas), Ancient Greek μένος (ménos), Albanian mënd (“mind, reason”). Related to mantra. Compare also Old English myntan (“to mean, intend, purpose, determine, resolve”). More at mint.

This word in other languages

mente(Español)esprit(Français)Verstand(Deutsch)mente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: imnd,midn,mindd,minnd,mmind,mnid

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mind - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

imnd2midn2mindd1minnd1mmind1mnid2
Edit distance from "mind"

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 "mind"?
"mind" is spelled M-I-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /maɪnd/.
What does "mind" mean?
As a noun, "mind" means: The capability for rational thought.
What words are commonly confused with "mind"?
"mind" is commonly confused with "MN", "mix", "MUD". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mind"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mind" is /maɪnd/. 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 "mind"?
From Middle English minde, munde, imynde, imunde, ȝemynde, ȝemunde, from Old English mynd, ġemynd (“mind, memory”), from Proto-West Germanic *mundi, *gamundi, from Proto-Germanic *mundiz, *gamundiz (“memory, remembrance”), from Proto-Indo-European... 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 “mind”

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

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