move

/muːv/

//muːv// verb

"move" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“move” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #447 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#447
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To change place or posture; to go, in any manner, from one place or position to another.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

move vs MV
0% similar
move vs MVP
0% similar
move vs MTV
0% similar

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

Key facts for move
PropertyValue
Headwordmove
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/muːv/
Letters4
Frequency rank#447
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “move” 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). move 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 move is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /muːv/. Corpus data places it at rank #447 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for move, with forms such as "mmove", "moev", and "movve". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "MV", "MVP", "MTV", 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 moven, moeven, meven, borrowed from Old Northern French mover, moveir and Old French mouver, moveir (“to move”) (compare modern French mouvoir from Old French movoir), from Latin movēre (“move; change, exchange, go in or out, quit”), fro… The correct English form is move, spelled M-O-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To change place or posture; to go, in any manner, from one place or position to another.
  2. 2
    To act; to take action; to begin to act
  3. 3
    To change residence, for example from one house, town, or state, to another; to go and live at another place; similarly to change the location of another establishment such as a business. See also move out and move in.
  4. 4
    To transport (an item) as part of changing residences.
  5. 5
    To cause to change place or posture in any manner; to set in motion; to carry, convey, draw, or push from one place to another
  6. 6
    To transfer (a piece) from one space or position on the board to another.
  7. 7
    To excite to action by the presentation of motives; to rouse by representation, persuasion, or appeal; to influence.
  8. 8
    To arouse the feelings or passions of; especially, to excite to tenderness or compassion, to excite (for example, an emotion).
  9. 9
    To propose; to recommend; specifically, to propose formally for consideration and determination, in a deliberative assembly; to submit
  10. 10
    To mention; to raise (a question); to suggest (a course of action); to lodge (a complaint).
  11. 11
    To incite, urge (someone to do something); to solicit (someone for or of an issue); to make a proposal to.
  12. 12
    To apply to, as for aid.
  13. 13
    To request an action from the court.
  14. 14
    To bow or salute upon meeting.
  15. 15
    To sell or market (especially physical inventory or illicit drugs).
  16. 16
    To transfer the value of one object in memory to another efficiently (i.e., without copying it in entirety).

Etymology

From Middle English moven, moeven, meven, borrowed from Old Northern French mover, moveir and Old French mouver, moveir (“to move”) (compare modern French mouvoir from Old French movoir), from Latin movēre (“move; change, exchange, go in or out, quit”), from Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- (“to move, drive”). Cognate with Lithuanian mauti (“to push on, rush”), Sanskrit मीवति (mī́vati, “pushes, presses, moves”), Middle Dutch mouwe (“sleeve”). Largely displaced native English stir, from Middle English stiren, sturien, from Old English styrian.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mmove,moev,movve,mvoe,omve

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of move - 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.

mmove1moev2movve1mvoe2omve2
Edit distance from "move"

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 "move"?
"move" is spelled M-O-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /muːv/.
What does "move" mean?
As a verb, "move" means: To change place or posture; to go, in any manner, from one place or position to another.
What words are commonly confused with "move"?
"move" is commonly confused with "MV", "MVP", "MTV". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "move"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "move" is /muːv/. 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 "move"?
From Middle English moven, moeven, meven, borrowed from Old Northern French mover, moveir and Old French mouver, moveir (“to move”) (compare modern French mouvoir from Old French movoir), from Latin movēre (“move; change, exchange, go in or out, q... 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 “move”

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

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