mistreat

/mɪsˈtɹiːt/

//mɪsˈtɹiːt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“mistreat” is uncommon English (frequency #53,709 among 36,575 “M” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,709
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To treat someone, or something roughly or badly.

Key facts for mistreat
PropertyValue
Headwordmistreat
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/mɪsˈtɹiːt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#53,709
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mistreat” 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). mistreat lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

mistreat is uncommon English at frequency #53,709 among 36,575 “M” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /mɪsˈtɹiːt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for mistreat, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From mis- + treat. The correct English form is mistreat, spelled M-I-S-T-R-E-A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To treat someone, or something roughly or badly.
  2. 2
    To administer an incorrect treatment to a patient.

Etymology

From mis- + treat.

This word in other languages

maltratar(Español)maltraiter(Français)misshandeln(Deutsch)destratar(Português)

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 "mistreat"?
"mistreat" is spelled M-I-S-T-R-E-A-T. The IPA pronunciation is /mɪsˈtɹiːt/.
What does "mistreat" mean?
As a verb, "mistreat" means: To treat someone, or something roughly or badly.
How do you pronounce "mistreat"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mistreat" is /mɪsˈtɹiːt/. 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 "mistreat"?
From mis- + treat. 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 “mistreat”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-I-S-T-R-E-A-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /mɪsˈtɹiːt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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