minium

/ˈmɪnɪəm/

//ˈmɪnɪəm// noun

"minium" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Cinnabar, especially when used as a pigment; vermilion.

Corpus desk

Index EN-minium · minium · English

minium · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "M" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for minium
PropertyValue
Headwordminium
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɪnɪəm/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “minium” in English

miniumfalls 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

minium is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmɪnɪəm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for minium, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin minium. The correct English form is minium, spelled M-I-N-I-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Cinnabar, especially when used as a pigment; vermilion.
  2. 2
    Red lead.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The compounds formed by the combination of the peroxide of lead with the protoxide have received the general name of miniums, and are known in commerce as red lead.
  2. [H]e was so overcome by suffering that his face, which had once been of oriental minium, now became like orpiment, and the hams of his lips turned into rancid lard.

Etymology

From Latin minium.

This word in other languages

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 "minium"?
"minium" is spelled M-I-N-I-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪnɪəm/.
What does "minium" mean?
As a noun, "minium" means: Cinnabar, especially when used as a pigment; vermilion.
How do you pronounce "minium"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "minium" is /ˈmɪnɪəm/. 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 "minium"?
From Latin minium. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list