vermin

/ˈvɝmɪn/

//ˈvɝmɪn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“vermin” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,642. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,642
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of various common types of small insects or other animals which cause harm and annoyance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-vermin · vermin · English

vermin · rank #30,642 · 9 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #30,642
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH Vasquez

Nearest frequency peer: Vasquez (-1 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “vermin”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “vermin” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

vermin vs virgin
67% similar
vermin vs Vernon
50% similar
vermin vs version
71% similar

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

Key facts for vermin
PropertyValue
Headwordvermin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈvɝmɪn/
Letters6
Frequency rank#30,642
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “vermin”

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).verminlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Vasquez” (#30,641), “vertices” (#30,644), “Valhalla” (#30,639). Among 969 “V” headwords, “vermin” is #30,642. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around vermin (IPA /ˈvɝmɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #30,642 among 969 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for vermin, with forms such as "evrmin", "vemrin", and "verimn". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "virgin", "Vernon", "version", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English vermyn, vermyne, from Old French vermine, from Vulgar Latin *verminum (“vermin”), collective noun formed from Latin vermis (“worm”). Compare vermiculate and vermivorous. See also worm. The correct English form is vermin, spelled V-E-R-M-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of various common types of small insects or other animals which cause harm and annoyance.
  2. 2
    An animal that preys on game, such as a fox or a weasel.
  3. 3
    An obnoxious or mean and offensive person.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The area was crawling with all sorts of vermin: fleas, lice, mice, and rats to name a few. Thus, we felt as if vermin were crawling over us.
  2. Vermin was everywhere; night and day it crawled gaily over the walls and ceiling, about our bodies, and into our very food, and, although the subject did not interest us, a naturalist would have delighted in the ever-changing varieties of insect life.

Etymology

From Middle English vermyn, vermyne, from Old French vermine, from Vulgar Latin *verminum (“vermin”), collective noun formed from Latin vermis (“worm”). Compare vermiculate and vermivorous. See also worm.

This word in other languages

alimaña(Español)vermine(Français)Ungeziefer(Deutsch)verme(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • evrmin
  • vemrin
  • verimn
  • verminn
  • vermmin
  • vermni
  • verrmin
  • vremin
  • vvermin

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of vermin - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

evrmin2vemrin2verimn2verminn1vermmin1vermni2verrmin1vremin2
Edit distance from "vermin"

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 "vermin"?
"vermin" is spelled V-E-R-M-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɝmɪn/.
What does "vermin" mean?
As a noun, "vermin" means: Any of various common types of small insects or other animals which cause harm and annoyance.
What words are commonly confused with "vermin"?
"vermin" is commonly confused with "virgin", "Vernon", "version". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "vermin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vermin" is /ˈvɝmɪn/. 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 "vermin"?
From Middle English vermyn, vermyne, from Old French vermine, from Vulgar Latin *verminum (“vermin”), collective noun formed from Latin vermis (“worm”). Compare vermiculate and vermivorous. See also worm. 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 "vermin", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

what'd#30,652Tuttle#30,631widget#30,654tether#30,619

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

utilise9 variantsTalmud9 variantstalker9 variantssodomy9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list