ming
/mɪŋ/verb, noun
ming is spelled M-I-N-G: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 14,106th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, ming means “To produce through mixing; especially, to knead” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in ming?
| Letters | 4: M-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.5 times per million words; the 14,106th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is ming?
Ming appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 14,106th 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 ming?
- US /mɪŋ/
Ming has one syllable (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-ming.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Typheuss-Ming.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with ming
Also written: meng.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with ming?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as ming from its last stressed vowel (/ɪŋ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of ming
- mings present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- minging participle, present
- minged participle, past
- meint participle, past
- ment participle, past
- meynt participle, past
- minge
- meng
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does ming mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
archaicTo mix, blend, mingle.
- 2
obsoleteTo bring (people, animals etc.) together; to be joined, in marriage or sexual intercourse.
- 3
IrelandUKTo produce through mixing; especially, to knead.
- 4
IrelandUKslangTo be unattractive (person or object).
- 5
IrelandUKslangTo be foul-smelling.
- 6
obsoleteTo speak of, to mention.
noun
- 1
IrelandUKA mixture.
- 2
UKobsoleteThe state of being under mixed ownership; land under mixed ownership, particularly without physical demarcations designating ownership.
17 September 1811, [Description of] Counterpart of Demise from John Thorold to John Wilson of Grantham, Lincolnshire Archives, Ref. Thor 1/2/ZA25/4 Published by The National Archives, Accessed 19 June 2022. Property: 1. 6 acres of land in m
- 3
Destiny, fate.
noun
- 1
A member of the Ming dynasty.
- 2
The pottery of the Ming era, famed for its high quality.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does ming come from?
From Middle English mingen, mengen, from Old English mengan (“to mix, combine, unite, associate with, consort, cohabit with, disturb, converse”), from Proto-West Germanic *mangijan (“to mix, knead”), from Proto-Indo-European *menk- (“to rumple, knead”). Cognate with Dutch mengen (“to mix, blend, mingle”), German mengen (“to mix”), Danish mænge (“to rub”), Old English ġemang (“mixture, union, troop, crowd, multitude, congregation, assembly, business, cohabitation”). More at among.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).