mix

/ˈmɪks/

//ˈmɪks// verb

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

"mix" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mix” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #2,003) as a verb. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#2,003
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To stir together.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mix · mix · English

mix · rank #2,003 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,003
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH joint

Nearest frequency peer: joint (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “mix”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “mix” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

mix vs my
33% similar
mix vs Mr
0% similar
mix vs MS
0% similar

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

Key facts for mix
PropertyValue
Headwordmix
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈmɪks/
Letters3
Frequency rank#2,003
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mix” 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).mixlands 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 “joint” (#2,002), “museum” (#2,004), “industrial” (#2,001). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for mix is neighbouring look-alikes ("my", "Mr", …), not just typos; it is averb pronounced /ˈmɪks/. Frequency #2,003 among 4,057 “M” headwords. 7 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for mix, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "my", "Mr", "MS", 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 Middle English mixen (attested in past tense as mixed, myxyd), from Old English *mixian, miscian, from Proto-West Germanic *miskijan, from Proto-Germanic *miskijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *miḱ-sḱé-ti, from *meyǵ-, *meyḱ- (“to mix”). Cognate with Sat… The correct English form is mix, spelled M-I-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    To stir together.
  2. 2
    To combine (items from two or more sources normally kept separate).
  3. 3
    To form by mingling; to produce by the stirring together of ingredients; to concoct from different parts.
  4. 4
    To blend by the use of a mixer (machine).
  5. 5
    To combine (several tracks).
  6. 6
    To produce a finished version of (a recording).
  7. 7
    To unite with in company; to join; to associate.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Mix the eggs and milk with the flour until the consistency is smooth.
  2. to mix business with pleasure

Etymology

From Middle English mixen (attested in past tense as mixed, myxyd), from Old English *mixian, miscian, from Proto-West Germanic *miskijan, from Proto-Germanic *miskijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *miḱ-sḱé-ti, from *meyǵ-, *meyḱ- (“to mix”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian miskje (“to mix, blend”), Middle Dutch mischen (“to mix”), Low German misken, mischen (“to mix”), Old High German miskian, miskēn (“to mix”) (German mischen), Welsh mysgu (“to mix”), Latin misceō (“mix”), Ancient Greek μῑ́γνῡμῐ (mī́gnūmĭ, “to mix”), Old Church Slavonic мѣсити (měsiti, “to mix”), Lithuanian mišti and maišyti (“to mix”), Sanskrit मिश्र (miśra, “mixed”), Persian آمیختن (âmixtan, “to mix”), Old English māsc (“mixture, mash”). More at mash.

Synonyms

blendcombinemingleintermixmix togethermix upmix togethermix upmuddlemuddle upadmixamalgamatebeminglecommingleintermingleinvolvemangmeddlemingmix

Antonyms

disentanglepurifyunmix

This word in other languages

mezclar(Español)mélanger(Français)mischen(Deutsch)misturar(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 "mix"?
"mix" is spelled M-I-X. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪks/.
What does "mix" mean?
As a verb, "mix" means: To stir together.
What words are commonly confused with "mix"?
"mix" is commonly confused with "my", "Mr", "MS". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mix"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mix" is /ˈmɪks/. 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 "mix"?
From Middle English mixen (attested in past tense as mixed, myxyd), from Old English *mixian, miscian, from Proto-West Germanic *miskijan, from Proto-Germanic *miskijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *miḱ-sḱé-ti, from *meyǵ-, *meyḱ- (“to mix”). Cognat... 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 "mix", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sky#1,968ill#1,946ben#2,063tea#1,925

What to do next

You've looked up "mix". Here's where to go from here.

  • "mix" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "my". View pair
  • Usage frequency rank #2,003 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "M" letter cohort. M–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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