mull

/mʌl/

//mʌl// verb

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

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

The verdict

“mull” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #31,263 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#31,263
frequency rank, English
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To work (over) mentally; to cogitate; to ruminate.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mull vs mum
50% similar
mull vs mun
50% similar
mull vs must
50% similar

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

Key facts for mull
PropertyValue
Headwordmull
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/mʌl/
Letters4
Frequency rank#31,263
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mull” 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). mull 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 mull is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /mʌl/. Corpus data places it at rank #31,263 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for mull, with forms such as "mlul", "mmull", and "mul". 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, "mum", "mun", "must", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English molle, mulle (“dust, rubbish”), possibly from Old English myl (“dust, mould”), from Proto-West Germanic *muli, a deverbal formation from *mulljan and thus cognate with Dutch mul (“dust, mould”), German Müll (“rubbish”), Swedish… The correct English form is mull, spelled M-U-L-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    To work (over) mentally; to cogitate; to ruminate.
  2. 2
    To powder; to pulverize.
  3. 3
    To chop marijuana so that it becomes a smokable form.
  4. 4
    To heat and spice something, such as wine.
  5. 5
    To join two or more individual windows at mullions.
  6. 6
    To dull or stupefy.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English molle, mulle (“dust, rubbish”), possibly from Old English myl (“dust, mould”), from Proto-West Germanic *muli, a deverbal formation from *mulljan and thus cognate with Dutch mul (“dust, mould”), German Müll (“rubbish”), Swedish moln (“cloud”) and related to English mill (“to grind”). Alternatively, from Middle French mol or its etymon Latin mollis (“soft”). Some verbal senses are supplied by Middle English mollen (“to soften, dissolve”), from Old French moillier, from Latin *molliāre (“to steep”), itself from mollis; compare moil.

This word in other languages

rumiar(Español)réfléchir(Français)erwägen(Deutsch)cogitar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mlul,mmull,mul,umll

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mull - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

mlul2mmull1mul1umll2
Edit distance from "mull"

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 "mull"?
"mull" is spelled M-U-L-L. The IPA pronunciation is /mʌl/.
What does "mull" mean?
As a verb, "mull" means: To work (over) mentally; to cogitate; to ruminate.
What words are commonly confused with "mull"?
"mull" is commonly confused with "mum", "mun", "must". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mull"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mull" is /mʌl/. 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 "mull"?
Inherited from Middle English molle, mulle (“dust, rubbish”), possibly from Old English myl (“dust, mould”), from Proto-West Germanic *muli, a deverbal formation from *mulljan and thus cognate with Dutch mul (“dust, mould”), German Müll (“rubbish”... 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 “mull”

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

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