Mean vs. Meen — Which is Correct Spelling?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 19, 2024
"Mean" is the correct spelling, while "Meen" is incorrect. "Mean" can refer to intention, average, or an unkind nature.
Table of Contents
Which is correct: Mean or Meen
How to spell Mean?
Mean
Correct Spelling
Meen
Incorrect Spelling
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Key Differences
Visualize a “mean” person saying "I mean it," which shows both spelling and usage.
Remember the phrase, "Meaning to say," where "meaning" clearly comes from "mean," not "meen."
"Mean" can be short for "meaning," but "Meen" doesn't lead to any real word.
"Mean" rhymes with "clean," which is how you want your language to be: error-free.
"Mean" has the word "ea" which you can associate with the word "tea," a common English drink.
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How Do You Spell Meen Correctly?
Incorrect: She didn't meen to hurt your feelings.
Correct: She didn't mean to hurt your feelings.
Incorrect: He tried to meen well, but his words came out wrong.
Correct: He tried to mean well, but his words came out wrong.
Incorrect: The meen value of these numbers is 10.
Correct: The mean value of these numbers is 10.
Incorrect: What does this word meen in English?
Correct: What does this word mean in English?
Incorrect: His actions were surprisingly meen.
Correct: His actions were surprisingly mean.
Mean Definitions
Mean refers to having an unkind or cruel disposition.
He was mean to the stray dog.
Mean can also refer to an average or central value.
The mean age of the group is 30.
In a different context, mean signifies intent or purpose.
What do you mean by that?
In math, mean is the sum of all numbers divided by the total count.
The mean of 1, 2, and 3 is 2.
There are several kinds of mean in mathematics, especially in statistics: For a data set, the arithmetic mean, also known as average or arithmetic average, is a central value of a finite set of numbers: specifically, the sum of the values divided by the number of values. The arithmetic mean of a set of numbers x1, x2, ..., xn is typically denoted by x ¯ {\displaystyle {\bar {x}}} .
Intend to convey or refer to (a particular thing); signify
I don't know what you mean
I meant you, not Jones
He was asked to clarify what his remarks meant
Intend (something) to occur or be the case
It was meant to be a secret
They mean no harm
Have as a consequence or result
The proposals are likely to mean another hundred closures
Heavy rain meant that the pitch was waterlogged
Unwilling to give or share things, especially money; not generous
They're not mean with the garlic
She felt mean not giving a tip
Unkind, spiteful, or unfair
I was mean to them over the festive season
(especially of a place) poor in quality and appearance; shabby
Her home was mean and small
Very skilful or effective; excellent
She dances a mean tango
He's a mean cook
(of a quantity) calculated as a mean; average
Participants in the study had a mean age of 35 years
Equally far from two extremes
Hope is the mean virtue between despair and presumption
The value obtained by dividing the sum of several quantities by their number; an average
Acid output was calculated by taking the mean of all three samples
A condition, quality, or course of action equally removed from two opposite extremes
The measure expresses a mean between saving and splashing out
To be used to convey; denote
"'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things'" (Lewis Carroll).
To act as a symbol of; signify or represent
In this poem, the budding flower means youth.
To intend to convey or indicate
"No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous" (Henry Adams).
To have as a purpose or an intention; intend
I meant to go running this morning, but I overslept.
To design, intend, or destine for a certain purpose or end
A building that was meant for storage.
A student who was meant to be a scientist.
To have as a consequence; bring about
Friction means heat.
To have the importance or value of
The opinions of the critics meant nothing to him. She meant so much to me.
To have intentions of a specified kind; be disposed
They mean well but lack tact.
Lacking in kindness; unkind
The teacher was not being mean in asking you to be quiet.
Cruel, spiteful, or malicious
A mean boy who liked to make fun of others.
Expressing spite or malice
Gave me a mean look.
Tending toward or characterized by cruelty or violence
Mean streets.
Extremely unpleasant or disagreeable
The meanest storm in years.
Ignoble; base
A mean motive. ].
Occupying a middle or intermediate position between two extremes.
Intermediate in size, extent, quality, time, or degree; medium.
Something having a position, quality, or condition midway between extremes; a medium.
A number that typifies a set of numbers, such as a geometric mean or an arithmetic mean.
The average value of a set of numbers.
(Logic) The middle term in a syllogism.
Means (used with a sing. or pl. verb) A method, a course of action, or an instrument by which an act can be accomplished or an end achieved.
Money, property, or other wealth
You ought to live within your means.
Great wealth
A woman of means.
To intend.
(transitive) To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention.
I didn't mean to knock your tooth out.
I mean to go to Baddeck this summer.
I meant to take the car in for a smog check, but it slipped my mind.
The authors meant a challenge to the status quo.
(intransitive) To have as intentions of a given kind.
Don't be angry; she meant well.
To intend (something) for a given purpose or fate; to predestine.
Actually this desk was meant for the subeditor.
Man was not meant to question such things.
(transitive) To intend an ensuing comment or statement as an explanation.[https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/i_mean%20I%20mean]
Your reasoning seems needlessly abstruse, complex, and verbose for me. I mean, could you dumb it down for my sake?
To convey (a meaning).
(transitive) To convey (a given sense); to signify, or indicate (an object or idea).
The sky is red this morning—does that mean we're in for a storm?
(transitive) Of a word, symbol etc: to have reference to, to signify.
What does this hieroglyph mean?
(transitive) Of a person (or animal etc): to intend to express, to imply, to hint at, to allude.
I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean.
He is a little different, if you know what I mean.
(transitive) To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says).
Does she really mean what she said to him last night?
Say what you mean and mean what you say.
(transitive) To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result).
One faltering step means certain death.
(usually with to) To be of some level of importance.
That little dog meant everything to me.
Formality and titles mean nothing in their circle.
To lament.
(obsolete) Common; general.
Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.
A man of mean parentage
A mean abode
Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.
A mean appearance
A mean dress
Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.
A mean motive
It was mean of you to steal that little girl's piggy bank.
Of little value or worth; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.
Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.
He's so mean. I've never seen him spend so much as five pounds on presents for his children.
Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating.
Intending to cause harm, successfully or otherwise; bearing ill will towards another.
Watch out for her, she's mean. I said good morning to her, and she punched me in the nose.
Powerful; fierce; strong.
It must have been a mean typhoon that levelled this town.
(colloquial) Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.
Your mother can roll a mean cigarette.
He hits a mean backhand.
Difficult, tricky.
This problem is mean!
Having the mean (see noun below) as its value; average.
The mean family has 2.4 children.
(obsolete) Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.
A method or course of action used to achieve some result.
An intermediate step or intermediate steps.
Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium.
The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument.
(statistics) The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms; the arithmetic mean.
(mathematics) Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency.
(mathematics) Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.
To have in the mind, as a purpose, intention, etc.; to intend; to purpose; to design; as, what do you mean to do?
What mean ye by this service ?
Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good.
I am not a SpaniardTo say that it is yours and not to mean it.
To signify; to indicate; to import; to denote.
What mean these seven ewe lambs ?
Go ye, and learn what that meaneth.
To have a purpose or intention.
Destitute of distinction or eminence; common; low; vulgar; humble.
The mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself.
Wanting dignity of mind; low-minded; base; destitute of honor; spiritless; as, a mean motive.
Can you imagine I so mean could prove,To save my life by changing of my love ?
Of little value or account; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.
The Roman legions and great Cæsar foundOur fathers no mean foes.
Of poor quality; as, mean fare.
Penurious; stingy; close-fisted; illiberal; as, mean hospitality.
Occupying a middle position; middle; being about midway between extremes.
Being of middle age and a mean stature.
Intermediate in excellence of any kind.
According to the fittest style of lofty, mean, or lowly.
Average; having an intermediate value between two extremes, or between the several successive values of a variable quantity during one cycle of variation; as, mean distance; mean motion; mean solar day.
That which is mean, or intermediate, between two extremes of place, time, or number; the middle point or place; middle rate or degree; mediocrity; medium; absence of extremes or excess; moderation; measure.
But to speak in a mean, the virtue of prosperity is temperance; the virtue of adversity is fortitude.
There is a mean in all things.
The extremes we have mentioned, between which the wellinstracted Christian holds the mean, are correlatives.
A quantity having an intermediate value between several others, from which it is derived, and of which it expresses the resultant value; usually, unless otherwise specified, it is the simple average, formed by adding the quantities together and dividing by their number, which is called an arithmetical mean. A geometrical mean is the nth root of the product of the n quantities being averaged.
That through which, or by the help of which, an end is attained; something tending to an object desired; intermediate agency or measure; necessary condition or coagent; instrument.
Their virtuous conversation was a mean to work the conversion of the heathen to Christ.
You may be able, by this mean, to review your own scientific acquirements.
Philosophical doubt is not an end, but a mean.
By this means he had them more at vantage.
What other means is left unto us.
Resources; property, revenue, or the like, considered as the condition of easy livelihood, or an instrumentality at command for effecting any purpose; disposable force or substance.
Your means are very slender, and your waste is great.
A part, whether alto or tenor, intermediate between the soprano and base; a middle part.
The mean is drowned with your unruly base.
Meantime; meanwhile.
A mediator; a go-between.
He wooeth her by means and by brokage.
If by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead.
The wine on this side of the lake is by no means so good as that on the other.
An average of n numbers computed by adding some function of the numbers and dividing by some function of n
Mean or intend to express or convey;
You never understand what I mean!
What do his words intend?
Have as a logical consequence;
The water shortage means that we have to stop taking long showers
Denote or connote;
`maison' means `house' in French
An example sentence would show what this word means
Have in mind as a purpose;
I mean no harm
I only meant to help you
She didn't think to harm me
We thought to return early that night
Have a specified degree of importance;
My ex-husband means nothing to me
Happiness means everything
Intend to refer to;
I'm thinking of good food when I talk about France
Yes, I meant you when I complained about people who gossip!
Destine or designate for a certain purpose;
These flowers were meant for you
Approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value;
The average income in New England is below that of the nation
Of average height for his age
The mean annual rainfall
Characterized by malice;
A hateful thing to do
In a mean mood
Having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality;
That liberal obedience without which your army would be a base rabble
Taking a mean advantage
Chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort
Something essentially vulgar and meanspirited in politics
Excellent;
Famous for a mean backhand
Marked by poverty befitting a beggar;
A beggarly existence in the slums
A mean hut
Used of persons or behavior; characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity;
A mean person
He left a miserly tip
Used of sums of money; so small in amount as to deserve contempt
Mean may describe something inferior in quality.
The performance was mean and not up to par.
Mean Meaning in a Sentence
He was mean to me for no reason.
To find the mean, add all the numbers and divide by the total count.
What do you mean by that comment?
He was known for his mean sense of humor.
The mean temperature for July is higher this year.
She didn't mean to break the vase.
What does this mean for our project?
The mean of those numbers doesn't make sense.
They mean to arrive early to get good seats.
He's too mean to donate any money.
I mean to finish this book by tomorrow.
She has a mean serve in tennis.
The documentary aims to highlight the mean aspects of social media.
His mean streak is well-known in the office.
This job means a lot to her.
Her words were mean and hurtful.
I mean, are you really going to wear that?
The teacher explained what the symbols mean.
Their mean teacher gave them a lot of homework.
The recipe said to use a mean amount of spice.
He didn't mean any harm by his comments.
Finding the mean helps us understand the data better.
Mean Idioms & Phrases
No mean feat
Something that is difficult to achieve.
Climbing the mountain was no mean feat.
Mean business
To be serious about what one is saying or proposing.
When she sets a deadline, she means business.
Mean the world
To be extremely important or valuable to someone.
Winning this award means the world to her.
Mean well
To have good intentions, even if the results are not always successful.
He means well, even if he sometimes misses the mark.
Have a mean streak
To have a tendency to be occasionally cruel or unpleasant.
Watch out for her; she has a mean streak.
Mean-spirited
Showing a cruel disposition or intention.
The comments were not just critical; they were mean-spirited.
Common Curiosities
What is the verb form of Mean?
"Mean" itself is a verb, as in "I mean to say."
What is the pronunciation of Mean?
Pronounced as "mēn."
What is the root word of Mean?
Derived from the Old English word "gemǣne."
Which vowel is used before Mean?
The vowel "a" as in "a mean person."
What is the plural form of Mean?
"Mean" serves as both singular and plural.
Is Mean a negative or positive word?
Context-dependent; it can be either.
What is the singular form of Mean?
"Mean" is both singular and plural.
Is Mean a noun or adjective?
It can be both, depending on the context.
Is Mean an adverb?
No, it's not an adverb.
Why is it called Mean?
The term "mean" derives from Old English and has several definitions based on context.
Is Mean a collective noun?
No, it's not a collective noun.
Which preposition is used with Mean?
"Of" or "to," depending on context.
Is Mean a vowel or consonant?
It's a word, not a vowel or consonant.
What part of speech is Mean?
It can be a noun, verb, or adjective.
Which conjunction is used with Mean?
"And" or "or," as applicable.
Which article is used with Mean?
"The" or "a" can be used.
What is the opposite of Mean?
Kind, extreme, or misunderstand, depending on context.
Which determiner is used with Mean?
"The" or "a."
Is the Mean term a metaphor?
It can be used metaphorically.
Is the word "Mean" a Direct object or an Indirect object?
It can be either, depending on sentence structure.
What is a stressed syllable in Mean?
The entire word is stressed, as it's one syllable.
How is Mean used in a sentence?
"I didn't mean to offend you with my comment."
Is Mean an abstract noun?
When a noun, it is abstract as it refers to an idea or quality.
Is Mean a countable noun?
When used as a noun, it's uncountable.
Is the word Mean imperative?
No, it's not imperative.
How many syllables are in Mean?
One syllable.
What is the third form of Mean?
"Meant" is also the third form as a verb.
Is the word Mean a Gerund?
No, it's not a gerund.
How do we divide Mean into syllables?
It's a one-syllable word, so no division.
What is another term for Mean?
Cruel, average, or intend, depending on context.
What is the first form of Mean?
"Mean" is the first form as a verb.
What is the second form of Mean?
"Meant" is the second form as a verb.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
