motile

/ˈməʊtaɪl/

//ˈməʊtaɪl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“motile” is uncommon English (frequency #64,558 among 4,057 “M” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,558
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In organisms: having the power to move spontaneously.

Corpus desk

Index EN-motile · motile · English

motile · rank #64,558 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #64,558
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH mosher

Nearest frequency peer: mosher (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “motile”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “motile” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for motile
PropertyValue
Headwordmotile
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈməʊtaɪl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#64,558
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “motile” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).motilefalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “mosher” (#64,557), “motu” (#64,559), “Morden” (#64,555). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “motile” is #64,558. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

motile is uncommon English at frequency #64,558 among 4,057 “M” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈməʊtaɪl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

motile doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin mōtus, perfect passive participle of moveō (“I move”) (English move). The correct English form is motile, spelled M-O-T-I-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    In organisms: having the power to move spontaneously.
  2. 2
    In organs or organelles: capable of producing motion.
  3. 3
    In organs: having the power to move their contents, or to change their shape or tension by writhing or contracting as required by their particular physiological functions.
  4. 4
    Of or relating to those mental images that arise from the sensations of bodily movement and position.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. 1914 Shelford, Victor E.: The American Naturalist: Comparison of the Responses of Sessile and Motile Plants and Animals Sessile organisms are those which are sedentary in habit, whether attached or possessing slight powers of locomotion. Motile organisms are those that habitually move about. Vagile or creeping forms as well as swimming, walking, flying, b…
  2. It seemed to him that, if there were a Holy Trinity as the churches taught, this must be unified through a manner of capillary action, Father merging into Son and both into Holy Ghost. So God is motile as the blood is.

Etymology

From Latin mōtus, perfect passive participle of moveō (“I move”) (English move).

This word in other languages

móvil(Español)motile(Français)beweglich(Deutsch)móvel(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 "motile"?
"motile" is spelled M-O-T-I-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈməʊtaɪl/.
What does "motile" mean?
As an adjective, "motile" means: In organisms: having the power to move spontaneously.
How do you pronounce "motile"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "motile" is /ˈməʊtaɪl/. 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 "motile"?
From Latin mōtus, perfect passive participle of moveō (“I move”) (English move). 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 "motile", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

mosher#64,557Morden#64,555modulo#64,548Norcal#64,573

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list