# mute

> English word · Adjective · IPA /mjuːt/ · frequency rank #11,919

## Definitions
1. Not having the power of speech; dumb.
2. Silent; not making a sound.
3. Not uttered; unpronounced; silent; also, produced by complete closure of the mouth organs which interrupt the passage of breath; said of certain letters.
4. Not giving a ringing sound when struck; said of a metal.

## Etymology
From Middle English muet, from Anglo-Norman muet, moet, Middle French muet, from mu (“dumb, mute”) + -et, remodelled after Latin mūtus.

## Easily confused with
- **myth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mute-vs-myth)
- **mutt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mute-vs-mutt)
- **muted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mute-vs-muted)
- **mutter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mute-vs-mutter)
- **ME** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/me-vs-mute)
- **MT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mt-vs-mute)
- **mu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mu-vs-mute)
- **met** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/met-vs-mute)
- **mum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mum-vs-mute)
- **MUD** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mud-vs-mute)
- **MTV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mtv-vs-mute)
- **mat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mat-vs-mute)
- **mit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mit-vs-mute)
- **mug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mug-vs-mute)
- **moe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moe-vs-mute)
- **mot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mot-vs-mute)
- **mee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mee-vs-mute)
- **mun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mun-vs-mute)
- **Mme** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mme-vs-mute)
- **MBE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mbe-vs-mute)

## Common misspellings (5)
`mmute`, `mtue`, `muet`, `mutte`, `umte`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mute