Word Confusion: Might versus Mite

Posted January 8, 2018 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of
9 Dec 2022

It’s those heterographs . . . they’ll getcha in trouble every time.

In this case, “You’re just a might on the short side” is tellin’ me that the person may be short, but they’re mighty strong. Of course, in this author’s case, “you’re just a mite on the short side” was what was intended, per the context of the paragraph.

You may want to explore “Can versus May“, “Might’a not be a Could’a, Would’a, Should’a“, and/or “May Be versus Maybe“.

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Might	Mite
The Might-y Superman by Jorgeduardo is under the Pixabay License, via Pixabay.	Peacock Mite, Tuckerella sp by Christopher Pooley, USDA-ARS, is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Part of Grammar:
Noun ¹; Modal Verb ² Plural for the noun: might Third person present verb : may Past tense (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Person Past Singular and Plural): might Past participle: N/A Present participle: N/A	Adverb ²; Noun ¹, ² Plural for the noun: mites
Noun: Great and impressive power or strength, especially of a nation, large organization, or natural force ¹ Physical strength Verb, modal: As the past tense of may, it is especially used ²: In reported speech, expressing possibility or permission Expressing a possibility based on a condition not fulfilled Expressing annoyance about something that someone has not done Expressing purpose Used in questions and requests Tentatively asking permission Expressing a polite request Asking for information, especially condescendingly Used to express possibility or make a suggestion	Adverb: A little ² Slightly Noun: A minute arachnid, subclass Acari, which has four pairs of legs when adult, is related to the ticks ¹ A small child or animal, especially when regarded as an object of sympathy ² A very small amount [Historical] A small coin, in particular a small Flemish copper coin of very low face value A contribution that is small but all that a person can afford
Examples:
Noun: It was a convincing display of military might. “Might is right” is a poor philosophy to embrace. He lifted with all his might. With might and main, we shall overcome our enemy. Verb, modal: You might just as well get it over with. Ah, geez, I might have known you did it. They said he might be late. We might have won if we’d played better. You might have told me! She avoided social engagements so that she might work. Might I ask one question? You might just call me Jane, if you don’t mind. And who might you be? This might be true. You might try melatonin to help you sleep.	Adverb: All evening he’s seemed a mite awkward. “Not the greatest tragedy in the world, perhaps, but a mite sad” (Guilhamon). “OPEC meets in Vienna on Friday, a meeting that will, according to the Wall Street Journal, be a mite testy” (McArdle). “Predicting Palestinian genocide of Jews under a one-state solution is a mite farfetched, I would submit” (Sucharov). Noun: Many kinds of mites live in the soil and a number are parasitic on plants or animals. Mites are significant as carriers of serious diseases. Scabies, also known as the seven-year itch, is a contagious skin infestation by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Ticks and spiders are more closely related than ticks and mites. Dust mites are a household plague. Mites feed on plants, animals, decaying matter, and stored foods. The poor little mite looks half-starved. His teacher thought he needed a mite of discipline. It is not worth a mite. A Flemish mite was worth one-third of a penny. It’s but a widow’s mite.
Derivatives:
Adjective: mightier, mightiest, mightless, mighty Adverb: mightily Contraction: mightn’t, might’ve Noun: might-have-been, mightiness
History of the Word:
From Old English miht or mieht is of Germanic origin. From Old English mæg is of Germanic origin, from a base meaning have power and related to the Dutch mogen and the German mögen.	Old English mīte is of Germanic origin. Late Middle English, c. 1350, denoting a small Flemish copper coin, and from the Middle Dutch mīte; probably from the same Germanic word as mite 1.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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