mysticism

/ˈmɪs.tɪˌsɪz.əm/

//ˈmɪs.tɪˌsɪz.əm// noun

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

"mysticism" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mysticism” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,519 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#26,519
frequency rank, English
9
letters
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The beliefs, ideas, or thoughts of mystics.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mysticism vs mystics
78% similar

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

Key facts for mysticism
PropertyValue
Headwordmysticism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɪs.tɪˌsɪz.əm/
Letters9
Frequency rank#26,519
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mysticism” 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). mysticism 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 mysticism is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɪs.tɪˌsɪz.əm/. Corpus data places it at rank #26,519 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for mysticism, with forms such as "mmysticism", "msyticism", and "mysitcism". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "mystics", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From mystic + -ism, from Old French mistique (“mysterious, full of mystery”), from Latin mysticus (“mystical, mystic, of secret rites”), from Ancient Greek μυστικός (mustikós, “secret, mystic”), from μύστης (mústēs, “one who has been initiated, initiate”) f… The correct English form is mysticism, spelled M-Y-S-T-I-C-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The beliefs, ideas, or thoughts of mystics.
  2. 2
    A doctrine of direct communication or spiritual intuition of divine truth.
  3. 3
    A transcendental union of soul or mind with the divine reality or divinity.
  4. 4
    Obscure thoughts and speculations.

Etymology

From mystic + -ism, from Old French mistique (“mysterious, full of mystery”), from Latin mysticus (“mystical, mystic, of secret rites”), from Ancient Greek μυστικός (mustikós, “secret, mystic”), from μύστης (mústēs, “one who has been initiated, initiate”) from μῡ́ω (mū́ō, “to close one's lips or eyes; initiate into the mysteries”). Compare Asturian misticismu, Catalan misticisme, French mysticisme, German Mystizismus, Italian misticismo, Portuguese misticismo, Sicilian misticisimu, Spanish misticismo.

Antonyms

rationalism

This word in other languages

misticismo(Español)mysticisme(Français)Mystik(Deutsch)misticismo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mmysticism,msyticism,mysitcism,myssticism,mystciism,mysticcism,mysticims,mysticismm,mysticissm,mysticsim,mystiicsm,mystticism,mytsicism,myysticism,ymsticism

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mmysticism1msyticism2mysitcism2myssticism1mystciism2mysticcism1mysticims2mysticismm1
Edit distance from "mysticism"

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 "mysticism"?
"mysticism" is spelled M-Y-S-T-I-C-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪs.tɪˌsɪz.əm/.
What does "mysticism" mean?
As a noun, "mysticism" means: The beliefs, ideas, or thoughts of mystics.
What words are commonly confused with "mysticism"?
"mysticism" is commonly confused with "mystics". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mysticism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mysticism" is /ˈmɪs.tɪˌsɪz.əm/. 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 "mysticism"?
From mystic + -ism, from Old French mistique (“mysterious, full of mystery”), from Latin mysticus (“mystical, mystic, of secret rites”), from Ancient Greek μυστικός (mustikós, “secret, mystic”), from μύστης (mústēs, “one who has been initiated, in... 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 “mysticism”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-Y-S-T-I-C-I-S-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmɪs.tɪˌsɪz.əm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “mystics” - see the side-by-side comparison. mysticism vs mystics
  • 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