mythos

/ˈmɪθɒs/

//ˈmɪθɒs// noun

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

The verdict

“mythos” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #38,987 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#38,987
frequency rank, English
6
letters
10
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Anything transmitted by word of mouth, such as a fable, legend, narrative, story, or tale (especially a poetic tale).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mythos vs myths
83% similar
mythos vs myth
67% similar
mythos vs maths
67% similar

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

Key facts for mythos
PropertyValue
Headwordmythos
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɪθɒs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#38,987
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mythos” 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). mythos 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 mythos is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɪθɒs/. Corpus data places it at rank #38,987 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 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for mythos, with forms such as "mmythos", "mtyhos", and "myhtos". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "myths", "myth", "maths", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Late Latin mȳthos (“myth”), from Ancient Greek μῦθος (mûthos, “report, tale, story”). Doublet of myth. The plural form mythoi is from Ancient Greek μῦθοι (mûthoi), and the form mythoses from mythos + -es. The correct English form is mythos, spelled M-Y-T-H-O-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Anything transmitted by word of mouth, such as a fable, legend, narrative, story, or tale (especially a poetic tale).
  2. 2
    A story or set of stories relevant to or having a significant truth or meaning for a particular culture, religion, society, or other group; a myth, a mythology.
  3. 3
    A set of assumptions or beliefs about something.
  4. 4
    A recurring theme; a motif.

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin mȳthos (“myth”), from Ancient Greek μῦθος (mûthos, “report, tale, story”). Doublet of myth. The plural form mythoi is from Ancient Greek μῦθοι (mûthoi), and the form mythoses from mythos + -es.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mmythos,mtyhos,myhtos,mythhos,mythoss,mythso,mytohs,mytthos,myythos,ymthos

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mythos - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

mmythos1mtyhos2myhtos2mythhos1mythoss1mythso2mytohs2mytthos1
Edit distance from "mythos"

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 "mythos"?
"mythos" is spelled M-Y-T-H-O-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪθɒs/.
What does "mythos" mean?
As a noun, "mythos" means: Anything transmitted by word of mouth, such as a fable, legend, narrative, story, or tale (especially a poetic tale).
What words are commonly confused with "mythos"?
"mythos" is commonly confused with "myths", "myth", "maths". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mythos"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mythos" is /ˈmɪθɒs/. 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 "mythos"?
Borrowed from Late Latin mȳthos (“myth”), from Ancient Greek μῦθος (mûthos, “report, tale, story”). Doublet of myth. The plural form mythoi is from Ancient Greek μῦθοι (mûthoi), and the form mythoses from mythos + -es. 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 “mythos”

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

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