minefield
/ˈmaɪnˌfild/noun
minefield is spelled M-I-N-E-F-I-E-L-D: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,974th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, minefield means “An area in which land mines or naval mines have been laid” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of minefield is minefields.
How many letters and syllables are in minefield?
| Letters | 9: M-I-N-E-F-I-E-L-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 31,974th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is minefield?
Minefield appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,974th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce minefield?
- US /ˈmaɪnˌfild/
Minefield has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-minefield.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with minefield
Also written: mine field (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of minefield
- minefields plural
- mine field
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does minefield mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An area in which land mines or naval mines have been laid.
- 2
A matter or situation presenting multiple risks, dangers, complications or difficulties.
Be careful. Foreign property investments are a minefield, and some people have lost a lot of money.
- 3
A pitch that has dried out and crumbled and on which the ball is bouncing and spinning unpredictably.
- 4
A quiz that terminates when the test-taker answers a question incorrectly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Minefield in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | champ de mines , terrain miné, terrain glissant |
| German | Minenfeld |
| Portuguese | campo minado |
| Spanish | campo de minas, campo minado , polvorín |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does minefield come from?
From mine + field. Compare Saterland Frisian Mienenfäield (“minefield”), West Frisian mynfjild (“minefield”), Dutch mijnenveld (“minefield”), German Low German Minenfeld (“minefield”), German Minenfeld (“minefield”), Danish minefelt (“minefield”), Swedish minfält (“minefield”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).