mishmash
/ˈmɪʃˌmæʃ/noun, verb
mishmash is spelled M-I-S-H-M-A-S-H: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 68,248th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, mishmash means “A collection containing a variety of miscellaneous things” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of mishmash is mishmashes.
How many letters and syllables are in mishmash?
| Letters | 8: M-I-S-H-M-A-S-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 68,248th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is mishmash?
Mishmash appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 68,248th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce mishmash?
- /ˈmɪʃˌmæʃ/
Mishmash has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-mishmash.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of mishmash
- mishmashes plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- mish-mash
- mishmosh
- mishmashing participle, present
- mishmashed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does mishmash mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A collection containing a variety of miscellaneous things.
verb
- 1
To mix together, especially in a confused way.
- 2
To become mixed together.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Mishmash in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense a collection of miscellany:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | méli-mélo, mélimélo, fatras, fouillis |
| German | Mischmasch |
| Portuguese | confusão, mixórdia, mistifório |
| Spanish | amasijo, fárrago, mescolanza, mezcolanza |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does mishmash come from?
Attested since the late 15th century, Middle English mysse masche, probably a reduplication of mash, although a Yiddish origin or influence has also been suggested. Cognates include Saterland Frisian Miskmask and German Mischmasch.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).