missile

/ˈmɪs.aɪl/

//ˈmɪs.aɪl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“missile” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,712 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,712
frequency rank, English
7
letters
8
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any object used as a weapon by being thrown or fired through the air, such as stone, arrow or bullet.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

missile vs missing
71% similar
missile vs mission
71% similar
missile vs Massie
57% similar

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

Key facts for missile
PropertyValue
Headwordmissile
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɪs.aɪl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#5,712
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “missile” 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). missile 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 missile is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɪs.aɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,712 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 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 missile, with forms such as "imssile", "misile", and "misisle". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "missing", "mission", "Massie", 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 Latin missile (“thrown weapon, projectile”), neuter of missilis (“throwable, capable of being thrown”), from mittere (“to send”). From 1611. Compare Middle French missile (“projectile”), from 1636. The correct English form is missile, spelled M-I-S-S-I-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any object used as a weapon by being thrown or fired through the air, such as stone, arrow or bullet.
  2. 2
    A self-propelled projectile whose trajectory can be adjusted after it is launched.

Etymology

From Latin missile (“thrown weapon, projectile”), neuter of missilis (“throwable, capable of being thrown”), from mittere (“to send”). From 1611. Compare Middle French missile (“projectile”), from 1636.

This word in other languages

proyectil(Español)projectile(Français)Geschoss(Deutsch)míssil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: imssile,misile,misisle,missiel,missille,misslie,mmissile,msisile

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

imssile2misile1misisle2missiel2missille1misslie2mmissile1msisile2
Edit distance from "missile"

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 "missile"?
"missile" is spelled M-I-S-S-I-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪs.aɪl/.
What does "missile" mean?
As a noun, "missile" means: Any object used as a weapon by being thrown or fired through the air, such as stone, arrow or bullet.
What words are commonly confused with "missile"?
"missile" is commonly confused with "missing", "mission", "Massie". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "missile"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "missile" is /ˈmɪs.aɪl/. 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 "missile"?
From Latin missile (“thrown weapon, projectile”), neuter of missilis (“throwable, capable of being thrown”), from mittere (“to send”). From 1611. Compare Middle French missile (“projectile”), from 1636. 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 “missile”

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

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