mislead

/mɪsˈliːd/

//mɪsˈliːd// verb

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

"mislead" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mislead” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,872. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,872
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To lead astray, in a false direction.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mislead · mislead · English

mislead · rank #21,872 · 10 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,872
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH misconception

Nearest frequency peer: misconception (-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 “mislead”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “mislead” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mislead vs missed
71% similar
mislead vs misled
86% similar
mislead vs misread
86% similar

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

Key facts for mislead
PropertyValue
Headwordmislead
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/mɪsˈliːd/
Letters7
Frequency rank#21,872
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mislead”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).misleadlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “misconception” (#21,871), “momentarily” (#21,873), “mindless” (#21,870). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mislead” is #21,872. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around mislead (IPA /mɪsˈliːd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #21,872 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for mislead, with forms such as "imslead", "milsead", and "miselad". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "missed", "misled", "misread", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mysleden, from Old English mislǣdan (“to mislead”), from Proto-Germanic *missalaidijaną (“to mislead”). By surface analysis, mis- + lead. The correct English form is mislead, spelled M-I-S-L-E-A-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To lead astray, in a false direction.
  2. 2
    To deceive by telling lies or otherwise giving a false impression.
  3. 3
    To deceptively trick into something wrong.
  4. 4
    To accidentally or intentionally confuse.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. City of the dead / At the end of another lost highway / Signs misleading to nowhere
  2. The preacher elaborated Satan's ways to mislead us into sin

Etymology

From Middle English mysleden, from Old English mislǣdan (“to mislead”), from Proto-Germanic *missalaidijaną (“to mislead”). By surface analysis, mis- + lead.

Synonyms

forleadmisguidemisinformdeceivedeludebeguilecheatbluffseduce

Antonyms

guideleaddirect

This word in other languages

desviar(Español)égarer(Français)irreführen(Deutsch)enganar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imslead
  • milsead
  • miselad
  • mislaed
  • misleadd
  • misleda
  • misllead
  • misslead
  • mmislead
  • msilead

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

imslead2milsead2miselad2mislaed2misleadd1misleda2misllead1misslead1
Edit distance from "mislead"

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 "mislead"?
"mislead" is spelled M-I-S-L-E-A-D. The IPA pronunciation is /mɪsˈliːd/.
What does "mislead" mean?
As a verb, "mislead" means: To lead astray, in a false direction.
What words are commonly confused with "mislead"?
"mislead" is commonly confused with "missed", "misled", "misread". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mislead"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mislead" is /mɪsˈliːd/. 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 "mislead"?
From Middle English mysleden, from Old English mislǣdan (“to mislead”), from Proto-Germanic *missalaidijaną (“to mislead”). By surface analysis, mis- + lead. 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 "mislead", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Norwood#21,882lineman#21,850knuckle#21,840Justine#21,836

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

methyl10 variantslaureate10 variantsredwood10 variantsSantana10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list