minimum

/ˈmɪnɪməm/

//ˈmɪnɪməm// noun

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

"minimum" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“minimum” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,081. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,081
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The lowest limit.

Corpus desk

Index EN-minimum · minimum · English

minimum · rank #2,081 · 10 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,081
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH listed

Nearest frequency peer: listed (-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 “minimum”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “minimum” 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).

minimum vs maximum
71% similar
minimum vs minimal
71% similar
minimum vs minibus
71% similar

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

Key facts for minimum
PropertyValue
Headwordminimum
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɪnɪməm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,081
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “minimum”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).minimumlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “listed” (#2,080), “native” (#2,082), “launch” (#2,079). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “minimum” is #2,081. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around minimum (IPA /ˈmɪnɪməm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,081 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for minimum, with forms such as "imnimum", "miinmum", and "minimmu". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "maximum", "minimal", "minibus", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin minimum, neuter form of minimus (“least, smallest”). The correct English form is minimum, spelled M-I-N-I-M-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The lowest limit.
  2. 2
    The smallest amount.
  3. 3
    A period of minimum brightness or energy intensity (of a star).
  4. 4
    A lower bound of a set which is also an element of that set.
  5. 5
    The smallest member of a batch or sample or the lower bound of a probability distribution.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We prefer candidates with a minimum of 4 years experience in the field.
  2. We need a minimum of three staff members on duty at all times.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin minimum, neuter form of minimus (“least, smallest”).

Antonyms

maximum

This word in other languages

mínimo(Español)Minimum(Deutsch)mínimo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imnimum
  • miinmum
  • minimmu
  • minimmum
  • minimumm
  • miniumm
  • minmium
  • minnimum
  • mminimum
  • mniimum

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

imnimum2miinmum2minimmu2minimmum1minimumm1miniumm2minmium2minnimum1
Edit distance from "minimum"

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 "minimum"?
"minimum" is spelled M-I-N-I-M-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪnɪməm/.
What does "minimum" mean?
As a noun, "minimum" means: The lowest limit.
What words are commonly confused with "minimum"?
"minimum" is commonly confused with "maximum", "minimal", "minibus". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "minimum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "minimum" is /ˈmɪnɪməm/. 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 "minimum"?
Learned borrowing from Latin minimum, neuter form of minimus (“least, smallest”). 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 "minimum", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

planned#2,085supreme#2,090younger#2,098ancient#2,099

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

attorney10 variantswomen's10 variantsweren't10 variantsaccepted10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list