minimum wage

/ˌmɪnɪməm ˈweɪd͡ʒ/

//ˌmɪnɪməm ˈweɪd͡ʒ// noun

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

"minimum-wage" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“minimum wage” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The lowest rate at which an employer must legally pay an employee, usually expressed as pay per hour.

Key facts for minimum wage
PropertyValue
Headwordminimum wage
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌmɪnɪməm ˈweɪd͡ʒ/
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “minimum wage” sits in English frequency

minimum wage falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

minimum wage is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌmɪnɪməm ˈweɪd͡ʒ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The lowest rate at which an employer must legally pay an employee, usually expressed as pay per hour.".

minimum wage doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From minimum (adjective) + wage. The correct English form is minimum wage, spelled M-I-N-I-M-U-M- -W-A-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The lowest rate at which an employer must legally pay an employee, usually expressed as pay per hour.

Etymology

From minimum (adjective) + wage.

This word in other languages

salario mínimo(Español)salaire minimum(Français)Mindestlohn(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "minimum wage"?
"minimum wage" is spelled M-I-N-I-M-U-M- -W-A-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌmɪnɪməm ˈweɪd͡ʒ/.
What does "minimum wage" mean?
As a noun, "minimum wage" means: The lowest rate at which an employer must legally pay an employee, usually expressed as pay per hour.
How do you pronounce "minimum wage"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "minimum wage" is /ˌmɪnɪməm ˈweɪd͡ʒ/. 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 wage"?
From minimum (adjective) + wage. 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.

Using “minimum wage”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is M-I-N-I-M-U-M- -W-A-G-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌmɪnɪməm ˈweɪd͡ʒ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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