mischief

/ˈmɪs.tʃiːf/

//ˈmɪs.tʃiːf// noun

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

"mischief" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mischief” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,136. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,136
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Conduct that playfully causes petty annoyance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mischief · mischief · English

mischief · rank #18,136 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,136
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH modernization

Nearest frequency peer: modernization (+1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “mischief”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “mischief” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for mischief
PropertyValue
Headwordmischief
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɪs.tʃiːf/
Letters8
Frequency rank#18,136
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mischief”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).mischieflands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “modernization” (#18,137), “Middlesex” (#18,134), “mums” (#18,138). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mischief” is #18,136. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around mischief (IPA /ˈmɪs.tʃiːf/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #18,136 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for mischief, with forms such as "imschief", "micshief", and "miscchief". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English myschef, meschef, meschief, mischef, from Old French meschief, from meschever (“to bring to grief”), from mes- (“badly”) + chever (“happen; come to a head”), from Vulgar Latin *capare, from Latin caput (“head”). The correct English form is mischief, spelled M-I-S-C-H-I-E-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    Conduct that playfully causes petty annoyance.
  2. 2
    A playfully annoying action.
  3. 3
    A group or a pack of rats.
  4. 4
    Harm or injury:
  5. 5
    Harm or injury:
  6. 6
    A criminal offence defined in various ways in various jurisdictions, sometimes including causing damage to another's property.
  7. 7
    A cause or agent of annoyance, harm or injury, especially a person who causes mischief.
  8. 8
    The Devil; used as an expletive.
  9. 9
    Casual and/or flirtatious sexual acts.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Drink led to mischief.
  2. John's mischief, tying his shoelaces together, irked George at first.

Etymology

From Middle English myschef, meschef, meschief, mischef, from Old French meschief, from meschever (“to bring to grief”), from mes- (“badly”) + chever (“happen; come to a head”), from Vulgar Latin *capare, from Latin caput (“head”).

Synonyms

agitationannoyancecorruptiondamagedemolitiondestructiondetrimentdisablementdisruptionevilharmhurtillimpairmentincapacitationinjurynuisancepiqueravagesabotagescathetroubleundoingunmakingvexationweakeningwrongbadnessdelinquincydevilishnessdevilmentdevilrydeviltryelfishnessgoings-onhanky-pankyimpishnessimproprietyknaverymisbehaviormischiefmischievousnessmisconductmisdemeanormonkey businessnaughtinessprankishnesspranksomenesspuckishnessrascalityrogueryroguishnessscampishness

Antonyms

decorumgentlemanlinessgentilityseemlinesssportsmanshipprobitypropriety

This word in other languages

travesura(Español)espièglerie(Français)Unfug(Deutsch)travessura(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imschief
  • micshief
  • miscchief
  • mischeif
  • mischhief
  • mischieff
  • mischife
  • miscihef
  • mishcief
  • misschief
  • mmischief
  • msichief

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

imschief2micshief2miscchief1mischeif2mischhief1mischieff1mischife2miscihef2
Edit distance from "mischief"

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 "mischief"?
"mischief" is spelled M-I-S-C-H-I-E-F. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪs.tʃiːf/.
What does "mischief" mean?
As a noun, "mischief" means: Conduct that playfully causes petty annoyance.
What are common misspellings of "mischief"?
Common misspellings include "imschief", "micshief", "miscchief", "mischeif", "mischhief". The correct spelling is "mischief".
How do you pronounce "mischief"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mischief" is /ˈmɪs.tʃiːf/. 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 "mischief"?
From Middle English myschef, meschef, meschief, mischef, from Old French meschief, from meschever (“to bring to grief”), from mes- (“badly”) + chever (“happen; come to a head”), from Vulgar Latin *capare, from Latin caput (“head”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "mischief", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

metadata#18,133oncology#18,146intrigue#18,112Helsinki#18,097

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

Middlesex12 variantsmagically12 variantsoccupancy12 variantsrebellious12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list