mire

/ˈmaɪə/

//ˈmaɪə// noun

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

"mire" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mire” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #39,914 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#39,914
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Deep mud; moist, spongy earth.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mire vs Mr
25% similar
mire vs Mrs
25% similar
mire vs mix
50% similar

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

Key facts for mire
PropertyValue
Headwordmire
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmaɪə/
Letters4
Frequency rank#39,914
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mire” 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). mire 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 mire is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmaɪə/. Corpus data places it at rank #39,914 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for mire, with forms such as "imre", "mier", and "mirre". 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, "Mr", "Mrs", "mix", 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 mire, a borrowing from Old Norse mýrr, from Proto-Germanic *miuzijō, whence also Swedish myr, Norwegian myr, Icelandic mýri, Dutch *mier (in placenames, for example Mierlo). Related to Proto-Germanic *meusą, whence Old English mēos, and … The correct English form is mire, spelled M-I-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Deep mud; moist, spongy earth.
  2. 2
    A bog or fen; (in wetland science, specifically) a peatland which is actively forming peat, such as an active bog or fen.
  3. 3
    An undesirable situation; a predicament.

Etymology

From Middle English mire, a borrowing from Old Norse mýrr, from Proto-Germanic *miuzijō, whence also Swedish myr, Norwegian myr, Icelandic mýri, Dutch *mier (in placenames, for example Mierlo). Related to Proto-Germanic *meusą, whence Old English mēos, and Proto-Germanic *musą, whence Old English mos (English moss).

This word in other languages

lodazal(Español)fange(Français)Morast(Deutsch)lama(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: imre,mier,mirre,mmire,mrie

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mire - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

imre2mier2mirre1mmire1mrie2
Edit distance from "mire"

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 "mire"?
"mire" is spelled M-I-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmaɪə/.
What does "mire" mean?
As a noun, "mire" means: Deep mud; moist, spongy earth.
What words are commonly confused with "mire"?
"mire" is commonly confused with "Mr", "Mrs", "mix". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mire"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mire" is /ˈmaɪə/. 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 "mire"?
From Middle English mire, a borrowing from Old Norse mýrr, from Proto-Germanic *miuzijō, whence also Swedish myr, Norwegian myr, Icelandic mýri, Dutch *mier (in placenames, for example Mierlo). Related to Proto-Germanic *meusą, whence Old English ... 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 “mire”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-I-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmaɪə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Mr” - see the side-by-side comparison. mire vs Mr
  • 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