myelin

/ˈmaɪəlɪn/

//ˈmaɪəlɪn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“myelin” is uncommon English (frequency #52,512 among 4,057 “M” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,512
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A white, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins, that surrounds the axons of nerves.

Corpus desk

Index EN-myelin · myelin · English

myelin · rank #52,512 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,512
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH neocon

Nearest frequency peer: neocon (+2 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 “myelin”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for myelin
PropertyValue
Headwordmyelin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmaɪəlɪn/
Letters6
Frequency rank#52,512
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “myelin” 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).myelinfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “neocon” (#52,514), “NEPA” (#52,516), “MTC” (#52,507). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “myelin” is #52,512. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

myelin is uncommon English at frequency #52,512 among 4,057 “M” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmaɪəlɪn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A white, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins, that surrounds the axons of nerves.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for myelin, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Ancient Greek μυελός (muelós)der. English myelo- English -ineclip. English -in English myelin From myelo- + -in. From Ancient Greek μυελός (muelós, “marrow”). The correct English form is myelin, spelled M-Y-E-L-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A white, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins, that surrounds the axons of nerves.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. As the result of prolonged action of water upon myelin, bird's-nests-cells are also said to be produced, and we are certain we have seen, as the result of such prolonged action of water, the appearances thus compared.
  2. This gene controls the production of an insulating sleeve that wraps around neurons. Known as myelin, it is crucial for long-range communication in the brain.

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek μυελός (muelós)der. English myelo- English -ineclip. English -in English myelin From myelo- + -in. From Ancient Greek μυελός (muelós, “marrow”).

This word in other languages

mielina(Español)myéline(Français)

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 "myelin"?
"myelin" is spelled M-Y-E-L-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmaɪəlɪn/.
What does "myelin" mean?
As a noun, "myelin" means: A white, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins, that surrounds the axons of nerves.
How do you pronounce "myelin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "myelin" is /ˈmaɪəlɪn/. 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 "myelin"?
Etymology tree Ancient Greek μυελός (muelós)der. English myelo- English -ineclip. English -in English myelin From myelo- + -in. From Ancient Greek μυελός (muelós, “marrow”). 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 "myelin", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

neocon#52,514niacin#52,519nought#52,527omnium#52,534

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list