minim

/ˈmɪ.nɪm/

//ˈmɪ.nɪm// noun

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

"minim" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“minim” is uncommon English (frequency #96,231 among 36,575 “M” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#96,231
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A half note, drawn as a semibreve with a stem.

Corpus desk

Index EN-minim · minim · English

minim · rank #96,231 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #96,231
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 36,575
  • PHOTO-FINISH Minkoff

Nearest frequency peer: Minkoff (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “minim”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “minim” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for minim
PropertyValue
Headwordminim
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɪ.nɪm/
Letters5
Frequency rank#96,231
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “minim” 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). minim lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

minim is uncommon English at frequency #96,231 among 36,575 “M” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmɪ.nɪm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 8 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for minim in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French minime. The correct English form is minim, spelled M-I-N-I-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A half note, drawn as a semibreve with a stem.
  2. 2
    A unit of volume, in the Imperial and U.S. customary systems, ¹⁄₆₀ fluid drachm. Approximately equal to 1 drop, 62 μL or 0.9 grain (weight) of water.
  3. 3
    A short vertical stroke used in handwriting.
  4. 4
    Anything very minute; applied to animalcula and the like.
  5. 5
    The smallest kind of worker in a leaf-cutter ant colony.
  6. 6
    A little man or being; a dwarf.
  7. 7
    A small fish; a minnow.
  8. 8
    A short poetical encomium.

Etymology

From French minime.

This word in other languages

blanca(Español)blanche(Français)

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "minim"?
"minim" is spelled M-I-N-I-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪ.nɪm/.
What does "minim" mean?
As a noun, "minim" means: A half note, drawn as a semibreve with a stem.
How do you pronounce "minim"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "minim" is /ˈmɪ.nɪm/. 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 "minim"?
From French minime. 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 "minim", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

moire#96,242Monge#96,244McKie#96,213Morea#96,249
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