# mirage

> English word · Noun · IPA /mɪˈɹɑːʒ/ · frequency rank #19,906

## Definitions
1. An optical phenomenon in which light is refracted through a layer of hot air close to the ground, often giving the illusion of a body of water.
2. An illusion.

## Etymology
An unadapted borrowing from French mirage c. 1812.

## Easily confused with
- **mire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mirage-vs-mire)
- **morale** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mirage-vs-morale)
- **Miyagi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mirage-vs-miyagi)
- **Mira** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mira-vs-mirage)
- **mage** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mage-vs-mirage)
- **merge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/merge-vs-mirage)
- **marge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marge-vs-mirage)
- **midge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/midge-vs-mirage)
- **McRae** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mcrae-vs-mirage)
- **manage** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manage-vs-mirage)
- **miracle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/miracle-vs-mirage)
- **mileage** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mileage-vs-mirage)
- **migrate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/migrate-vs-mirage)

## Common misspellings (8)
`imrage`, `miarge`, `miraeg`, `miragge`, `mirgae`, `mirrage`, `mmirage`, `mriage`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mirage