minor

/ˈmaɪ.nəɹ/

//ˈmaɪ.nəɹ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“minor” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,397 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#2,397
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option, particularly

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

minor vs mir
60% similar
minor vs MOR
0% similar
minor vs mint
60% similar

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

Key facts for minor
PropertyValue
Headwordminor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈmaɪ.nəɹ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,397
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “minor” 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). minor lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for minor is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmaɪ.nəɹ/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,397 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 14 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for minor, with forms such as "imnor", "minnor", and "minorr". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "mir", "MOR", "mint", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English minor, menor, menour, etc., from Latin minor (“lesser; young; young person”) both directly and via Norman and Middle French menor, menour, etc. Doublet of minus but not mini-. Cognate with minister, minify, Minorca, Menshevik, and possib… The correct English form is minor, spelled M-I-N-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option, particularly
  2. 2
    Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
  3. 3
    Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
  4. 4
    Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
  5. 5
    Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
  6. 6
    Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
  7. 7
    Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
  8. 8
    Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
  9. 9
    Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
  10. 10
    Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
  11. 11
    Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
  12. 12
    Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
  13. 13
    Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
  14. 14
    Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option

Etymology

From Middle English minor, menor, menour, etc., from Latin minor (“lesser; young; young person”) both directly and via Norman and Middle French menor, menour, etc. Doublet of minus but not mini-. Cognate with minister, minify, Minorca, Menshevik, and possibly minnow. Compare Latin minimum and minuō, Old High German minniro, Cornish minow.

Synonyms

insignificant and Thesaurus:small

Antonyms

majorantonym(s) ofantonym(s) of

This word in other languages

menor(Español)mineur(Français)gering(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: imnor,minnor,minorr,minro,mionr,mminor,mnior

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

imnor2minnor1minorr1minro2mionr2mminor1mnior2
Edit distance from "minor"

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 "minor"?
"minor" is spelled M-I-N-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmaɪ.nəɹ/.
What does "minor" mean?
As an adjective, "minor" means: Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option, particularly
What words are commonly confused with "minor"?
"minor" is commonly confused with "mir", "MOR", "mint". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "minor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "minor" is /ˈmaɪ.nəɹ/. 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 "minor"?
From Middle English minor, menor, menour, etc., from Latin minor (“lesser; young; young person”) both directly and via Norman and Middle French menor, menour, etc. Doublet of minus but not mini-. Cognate with minister, minify, Minorca, Menshevik, ... 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 “minor”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-I-N-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmaɪ.nəɹ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “mir” - see the side-by-side comparison. minor vs mir
  • 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list