minefield

/ˈmaɪnˌfild/

//ˈmaɪnˌfild// noun

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

"minefield" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“minefield” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,083. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,083
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An area in which land mines or naval mines have been laid.

Corpus desk

Index EN-minefield · minefield · English

minefield · rank #32,083 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,083
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH midweek

Nearest frequency peer: midweek (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “minefield”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “minefield” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

minefield vs midfield
78% similar
minefield vs Mansfield
67% similar

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

Key facts for minefield
PropertyValue
Headwordminefield
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmaɪnˌfild/
Letters9
Frequency rank#32,083
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “minefield”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).minefieldlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “midweek” (#32,082), “Minogue” (#32,084), “microprocessor” (#32,081). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “minefield” is #32,083. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around minefield (IPA /ˈmaɪnˌfild/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #32,083 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for minefield, with forms such as "imnefield", "mienfield", and "minefeild". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "midfield", "Mansfield", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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 m… The correct English form is minefield, spelled M-I-N-E-F-I-E-L-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    An area in which land mines or naval mines have been laid.
  2. 2
    A matter or situation presenting multiple risks, dangers, complications or difficulties.
  3. 3
    A pitch that has dried out and crumbled and on which the ball is bouncing and spinning unpredictably.
  4. 4
    A quiz that terminates when the test-taker answers a question incorrectly.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how minefield appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Be careful. Foreign property investments are a minefield, and some people have lost a lot of money.
  2. Russian grammar can be a minefield.

Etymology

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”).

This word in other languages

polvorín(Español)champ de mines(Français)Minenfeld(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imnefield
  • mienfield
  • minefeild
  • mineffield
  • minefiedl
  • minefieldd
  • minefielld
  • minefiled
  • mineifeld
  • minfeield
  • minnefield
  • mminefield
  • mniefield

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of minefield - 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.

imnefield2mienfield2minefeild2mineffield1minefiedl2minefieldd1minefielld1minefiled2
Edit distance from "minefield"

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 "minefield"?
"minefield" is spelled M-I-N-E-F-I-E-L-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmaɪnˌfild/.
What does "minefield" mean?
As a noun, "minefield" means: An area in which land mines or naval mines have been laid.
What words are commonly confused with "minefield"?
"minefield" is commonly confused with "midfield", "Mansfield". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "minefield"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "minefield" is /ˈmaɪnˌfild/. 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 "minefield"?
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”),... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "minefield", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Mogadishu#32,086matrimony#32,075Manchuria#32,069MacGregor#32,065

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

patching13 variantsPershing13 variantspriestly13 variantshermitage13 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list