movement

/ˈmuːv.mənt/

//ˈmuːv.mənt// noun

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

The verdict

“movement” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,144 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,144
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Physical motion between points in space.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

movement vs movements
89% similar
movement vs moment
75% similar
movement vs monument
75% similar

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

Key facts for movement
PropertyValue
Headwordmovement
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmuːv.mənt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#1,144
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “movement” 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). movement 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 movement is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmuːv.mənt/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,144 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for movement, with forms such as "mmovement", "moevment", and "moveemnt". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "movements", "moment", "monument", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mevement, from Old French movement (modern French mouvement), from movoir + -ment; cf. also Medieval Latin movimentum, from Latin movere (“move”). Doublet of moment and momentum. In this sense, displaced native Old English styring, which… The correct English form is movement, spelled M-O-V-E-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Physical motion between points in space.
  2. 2
    A system or mechanism for transmitting motion of a definite character, or for transforming motion, such as the wheelwork of a watch.
  3. 3
    The impression of motion in an artwork, painting, novel etc.
  4. 4
    A trend in various fields or social categories, a group of people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals.
  5. 5
    A large division of a larger composition.
  6. 6
    Melodic progression, accentual character, tempo or pace.
  7. 7
    An instance of an aircraft taking off or landing.
  8. 8
    The deviation of a pitch from ballistic flight.
  9. 9
    A pattern in which pairs change opponents and boards move from table to table in duplicate bridge.
  10. 10
    Ellipsis of bowel movement (“an act of emptying the bowels”).
  11. 11
    Motion of the mind or feelings; emotion.

Etymology

From Middle English mevement, from Old French movement (modern French mouvement), from movoir + -ment; cf. also Medieval Latin movimentum, from Latin movere (“move”). Doublet of moment and momentum. In this sense, displaced native Old English styring, which led to Modern English stirring. Morphologically move + -ment.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mmovement,moevment,moveemnt,movemennt,movementt,movemetn,movemment,movemnet,movmeent,movvement,mvoement,omvement

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of movement - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

mmovement1moevment2moveemnt2movemennt1movementt1movemetn2movemment1movemnet2
Edit distance from "movement"

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 "movement"?
"movement" is spelled M-O-V-E-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmuːv.mənt/.
What does "movement" mean?
As a noun, "movement" means: Physical motion between points in space.
What words are commonly confused with "movement"?
"movement" is commonly confused with "movements", "moment", "monument". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "movement"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "movement" is /ˈmuːv.mənt/. 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 "movement"?
From Middle English mevement, from Old French movement (modern French mouvement), from movoir + -ment; cf. also Medieval Latin movimentum, from Latin movere (“move”). Doublet of moment and momentum. In this sense, displaced native Old English styr... 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 “movement”

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

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