mandatory

/ˈmæn.də.t(ə)ɹi/

//ˈmæn.də.t(ə)ɹi// adj

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

"mandatory" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mandatory” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,809. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,809
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - obligatory; required or commanded by authority.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mandatory · mandatory · English

mandatory · rank #5,809 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,809
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH lip

Nearest frequency peer: lip (-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 “mandatory”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “mandatory” 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
Key facts for mandatory
PropertyValue
Headwordmandatory
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈmæn.də.t(ə)ɹi/
Letters9
Frequency rank#5,809
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mandatory”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).mandatorylands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “lip” (#5,808), “manufactured” (#5,810), “mechanics” (#5,811). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mandatory” is #5,809. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around mandatory (IPA /ˈmæn.də.t(ə)ɹi/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #5,809 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for mandatory, with forms such as "amndatory", "madnatory", and "manadtory". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Late Latin mandatorius (“of or belonging to a mandator”), from mandātor (“one who commands”), equivalent to mandate + -ory; see mandate. The correct English form is mandatory, spelled M-A-N-D-A-T-O-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    obligatory; required or commanded by authority.
  2. 2
    Of, being or relating to a mandate.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Attendance at a school is usually mandatory for children.
  2. This kind of immediate control structure we take to be characteristic of the tribe, and it leads to a rather rigid type of system in which 'every action not mandatory is forbidden'.

Etymology

From Late Latin mandatorius (“of or belonging to a mandator”), from mandātor (“one who commands”), equivalent to mandate + -ory; see mandate.

This word in other languages

obligatorio(Español)obligatoire(Français)obligatorisch(Deutsch)obrigatório(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amndatory
  • madnatory
  • manadtory
  • mandaotry
  • mandatorry
  • mandatoryy
  • mandatoyr
  • mandatroy
  • mandattory
  • manddatory
  • mandtaory
  • manndatory
  • mmandatory
  • mnadatory

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mandatory - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

amndatory2madnatory2manadtory2mandaotry2mandatorry1mandatoryy1mandatoyr2mandatroy2
Edit distance from "mandatory"

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 "mandatory"?
"mandatory" is spelled M-A-N-D-A-T-O-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmæn.də.t(ə)ɹi/.
What does "mandatory" mean?
As an adjective, "mandatory" means: obligatory; required or commanded by authority.
What are common misspellings of "mandatory"?
Common misspellings include "amndatory", "madnatory", "manadtory", "mandaotry", "mandatorry". The correct spelling is "mandatory".
How do you pronounce "mandatory"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mandatory" is /ˈmæn.də.t(ə)ɹi/. 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 "mandatory"?
From Late Latin mandatorius (“of or belonging to a mandator”), from mandātor (“one who commands”), equivalent to mandate + -ory; see mandate. 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 "mandatory", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

mechanics#5,811permitted#5,821gentlemen#5,794financing#5,790

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

profession14 variantspublisher14 variantsdemanding14 variantssentences14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list