never mind

/ˈnɛ.vɚˌmaɪnd/

//ˈnɛ.vɚˌmaɪnd// verb

"never-mind" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“never mind” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - It is not important; do not fret; used to reassure or comfort the person to whom it is said.

Key facts for never mind
PropertyValue
Headwordnever mind
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈnɛ.vɚˌmaɪnd/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “never mind” sits in English frequency

never mind falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for never mind is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnɛ.vɚˌmaɪnd/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

never mind doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is never mind, spelled N-E-V-E-R- -M-I-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    It is not important; do not fret; used to reassure or comfort the person to whom it is said.
  2. 2
    Do not be concerned (about someone or something, or about doing something).
  3. 3
    Indicates a withdrawal or retractment of a previous statement.
  4. 4
    Let alone; much less.

Synonyms

forget about itforget itpay someone no mindbelay my last

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "never mind"?
"never mind" is spelled N-E-V-E-R- -M-I-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnɛ.vɚˌmaɪnd/.
What does "never mind" mean?
As a verb, "never mind" means: It is not important; do not fret; used to reassure or comfort the person to whom it is said.
How do you pronounce "never mind"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "never mind" is /ˈnɛ.vɚˌmaɪnd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "never mind" come from?
"never mind" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “never mind”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is N-E-V-E-R- -M-I-N-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnɛ.vɚˌmaɪnd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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