mistletoe

/ˈmɪs(ə)ltəʊ/

//ˈmɪs(ə)ltəʊ// noun

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

"mistletoe" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mistletoe” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,671. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,671
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of numerous hemiparasitic evergreen plants of the order Santalales with white berries that grow in the crowns of apple trees, oaks, and other trees, such as the European mistletoe (Viscum album...

Corpus desk

Index EN-mistletoe · mistletoe · English

mistletoe · rank #36,671 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,671
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH Missoula

Nearest frequency peer: Missoula (-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 “mistletoe”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “mistletoe” 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 mistletoe
PropertyValue
Headwordmistletoe
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɪs(ə)ltəʊ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#36,671
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mistletoe”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).mistletoelands 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 “Missoula” (#36,670), “MMO” (#36,672), “mired” (#36,669). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mistletoe” is #36,671. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around mistletoe (IPA /ˈmɪs(ə)ltəʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #36,671 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for mistletoe, with forms such as "imstletoe", "misltetoe", and "misstletoe". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mistelto, mistilto (“European mistletoe”), from Old English misteltān (“mistletoe”), from mistel (“mistletoe; basil; birdlime”) + tān (“sprig, shoot, twig”), possibly as a calque of Old Norse mistilteinn; equivalent to mistle + tan (“twi… The correct English form is mistletoe, spelled M-I-S-T-L-E-T-O-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of numerous hemiparasitic evergreen plants of the order Santalales with white berries that grow in the crowns of apple trees, oaks, and other trees, such as the European mistletoe (Viscum album) and American mistletoe or eastern mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum).
  2. 2
    A sprig of one such plant used as a Christmas decoration, associated with the custom that a man may kiss any woman standing beneath it.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. (all obsolete or archaic)
  2. Miſtletoe, by phyſicians, &c. called viſcus, grows to the height of about two feet. […] Pliny and moſt naturaliſts relate, that thruſhes being exceedingly fond of the berries of the miſtletoe; they ſwallow them, and caſt them out again on the branches of trees, where they uſe to perch; and by this means give occaſion to a new production of miſtletoe.

Etymology

From Middle English mistelto, mistilto (“European mistletoe”), from Old English misteltān (“mistletoe”), from mistel (“mistletoe; basil; birdlime”) + tān (“sprig, shoot, twig”), possibly as a calque of Old Norse mistilteinn; equivalent to mistle + tan (“twig”). This was mistaken for the plural of tā (“toe”). Cognate with Danish mistelten (“mistletoe”), Norwegian misteltein (“mistletoe”), Icelandic mistilteinn (“mistletoe”). Compare also the simplex form West Frisian mistel (“mistletoe”), Dutch mistel (“mistletoe”), German Mistel (“mistletoe”), Swedish mistel (“mistletoe”).

This word in other languages

liga(Español)gui(Français)Mistel(Deutsch)visco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imstletoe
  • misltetoe
  • misstletoe
  • misteltoe
  • mistleote
  • mistleteo
  • mistlettoe
  • mistlletoe
  • mistlteoe
  • misttletoe
  • mitsletoe
  • mmistletoe
  • msitletoe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mistletoe - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

imstletoe2misltetoe2misstletoe1misteltoe2mistleote2mistleteo2mistlettoe1mistlletoe1
Edit distance from "mistletoe"

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 "mistletoe"?
"mistletoe" is spelled M-I-S-T-L-E-T-O-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪs(ə)ltəʊ/.
What does "mistletoe" mean?
As a noun, "mistletoe" means: Any of numerous hemiparasitic evergreen plants of the order Santalales with white berries that grow in the crowns of apple trees, oaks, and other trees, such as the European mistletoe (Viscum album...
What are common misspellings of "mistletoe"?
Common misspellings include "imstletoe", "misltetoe", "misstletoe", "misteltoe", "mistleote". The correct spelling is "mistletoe".
How do you pronounce "mistletoe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mistletoe" is /ˈmɪs(ə)ltəʊ/. 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 "mistletoe"?
From Middle English mistelto, mistilto (“European mistletoe”), from Old English misteltān (“mistletoe”), from mistel (“mistletoe; basil; birdlime”) + tān (“sprig, shoot, twig”), possibly as a calque of Old Norse mistilteinn; equivalent to mistle +... 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 "mistletoe", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

mezzanine#36,666Maidstone#36,650lyrically#36,649Londoners#36,647

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

Monticello13 variantsMarchand13 variantslengthen13 variantshumpback13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list