Miriam

/ˈmɪɹɪəm/

//ˈmɪɹɪəm// name

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

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

The verdict

“Miriam” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,662 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#15,662
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The sister of Moses and Aaron and the daughter of Amram and Jochebed.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Miriam vs mirza
50% similar
Miriam vs Moria
67% similar
Miriam vs myriad
50% similar

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

Key facts for Miriam
PropertyValue
HeadwordMiriam
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈmɪɹɪəm/
Letters6
Frequency rank#15,662
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Miriam” 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). Miriam 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 Miriam is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɪɹɪəm/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,662 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 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for Miriam, with forms such as "imriam", "miiram", and "miraim". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "mirza", "Moria", "myriad", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Hebrew מִרְיָם (Miryam), possibly from Aramaic מרים (Maryām, “bitter”), from a root מר (m-r) meaning "to be bitter". The meaning of this name which is the Old Testament equivalent of Mary has been debated for centuries. Some other explanations are muti… The correct English form is Miriam, spelled M-I-R-I-A-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The sister of Moses and Aaron and the daughter of Amram and Jochebed.
  2. 2
    Synonym of Mary, mother of Jesus, chiefly in contexts emphasizing her historical or Jewish identity.
  3. 3
    A female given name from Hebrew.

Etymology

From Hebrew מִרְיָם (Miryam), possibly from Aramaic מרים (Maryām, “bitter”), from a root מר (m-r) meaning "to be bitter". The meaning of this name which is the Old Testament equivalent of Mary has been debated for centuries. Some other explanations are mutiny / rebellion / disobedience from a root מרי (m-r-y).

This word in other languages

María(Español)Miryam(Français)Miriam(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: imriam,miiram,miraim,miriamm,mirima,mirriam,mmiriam,mriiam

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

imriam2miiram2miraim2miriamm1mirima2mirriam1mmiriam1mriiam2
Edit distance from "Miriam"

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 "Miriam"?
"Miriam" is spelled M-I-R-I-A-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪɹɪəm/.
What does "Miriam" mean?
As a proper noun, "Miriam" means: The sister of Moses and Aaron and the daughter of Amram and Jochebed.
What words are commonly confused with "Miriam"?
"Miriam" is commonly confused with "mirza", "Moria", "myriad". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Miriam"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Miriam" is /ˈmɪɹɪəm/. 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 "Miriam"?
From Hebrew מִרְיָם (Miryam), possibly from Aramaic מרים (Maryām, “bitter”), from a root מר (m-r) meaning "to be bitter". The meaning of this name which is the Old Testament equivalent of Mary has been debated for centuries. Some other explanation... 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 “Miriam”

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

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