Which to use
“mana” and “mat” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,892
- “mana” frequency rank
- #9,065
- “mat” frequency rank
- 28957
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mana | mat |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Power, prestige; specifically, a form of supernatural energy in Polynesian religion that inheres in things or people. | A flat piece of coarse material used for wiping one’s feet, or as a decorative or protective floor covering. |
Where the eye mixes mana and mat
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses mana with mat
A purely visual mix-up. mana (/ˈmɑː.nə/) and mat (/mæt/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28957, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mana is recorded at frequency rank #19,892, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈmɑː.nə/. mat is at rank #9,065, tagged as anoun, pronounced /mæt/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 28957, this pair ranks #366,924 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of mana vs mat
Shared letters: am. Private to "mana": n. Private to "mat": t.
"mana" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "mat" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- mana ← amna · maan · mmana · mnaa
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "mana" for "mat" ever safe?
In ordinary English text, does "mana" or "mat" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "mana" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mat" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #366,924 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mana" and "mat" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "mana vs MPAA". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #366,924 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.