mobile

/ˈməʊ.baɪl/

//ˈməʊ.baɪl// adj

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

"mobile" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mobile” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,488 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,488
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Capable of being moved, especially on wheels.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mobile vs mole
67% similar
mobile vs movie
67% similar
mobile vs motive
67% similar

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

Key facts for mobile
PropertyValue
Headwordmobile
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈməʊ.baɪl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,488
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mobile” 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). mobile 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 mobile is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈməʊ.baɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,488 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 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 mobile, with forms such as "mboile", "mmobile", and "mobbile". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "mole", "movie", "motive", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin mōbilis (“easy to be moved, moveable”), from moveō (“move”). The video-gaming sense was coined by Richard Bartle to describe NPCs or creatures capable of moving "under their own power" in the 1978 video game … The correct English form is mobile, spelled M-O-B-I-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Capable of being moved, especially on wheels.
  2. 2
    Pertaining to or by agency of mobile phones.
  3. 3
    Characterized by an extreme degree of fluidity; moving or flowing with great freedom.
  4. 4
    Easily moved in feeling, purpose, or direction; excitable; changeable; fickle.
  5. 5
    Changing in appearance and expression under the influence of the mind.
  6. 6
    Capable of being moved, aroused, or excited; capable of spontaneous movement.

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin mōbilis (“easy to be moved, moveable”), from moveō (“move”). The video-gaming sense was coined by Richard Bartle to describe NPCs or creatures capable of moving "under their own power" in the 1978 video game Multi-User Dungeon. Bartle retracted an earlier claim of his that it was from the kinetic sculpture sense of mobile (for the "unpredictable but limited" motion of the hanging ornaments).

This word in other languages

móvil(Español)mobile(Français)beweglich(Deutsch)móvel(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mboile,mmobile,mobbile,mobiel,mobille,moblie,moible,ombile

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mobile - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

mboile2mmobile1mobbile1mobiel2mobille1moblie2moible2ombile2
Edit distance from "mobile"

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 "mobile"?
"mobile" is spelled M-O-B-I-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈməʊ.baɪl/.
What does "mobile" mean?
As an adjective, "mobile" means: Capable of being moved, especially on wheels.
What words are commonly confused with "mobile"?
"mobile" is commonly confused with "mole", "movie", "motive". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mobile"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mobile" is /ˈməʊ.baɪl/. 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 "mobile"?
From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin mōbilis (“easy to be moved, moveable”), from moveō (“move”). The video-gaming sense was coined by Richard Bartle to describe NPCs or creatures capable of moving "under their own power" in the 1978 v... 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 “mobile”

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

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