mandolin

/ˈmændə(ˌ)lɪn/

//ˈmændə(ˌ)lɪn// noun

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

"mandolin" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mandolin” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #38,035. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#38,035
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A stringed instrument of the lute family, having eight strings in four courses, frequently tuned as a violin, and with either a bowl-shaped back or a flat back.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mandolin · mandolin · English

mandolin · rank #38,035 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #38,035
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH mandala

Nearest frequency peer: mandala (-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 “mandolin”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “mandolin” 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).

mandolin vs mandarin
75% similar

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

Key facts for mandolin
PropertyValue
Headwordmandolin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmændə(ˌ)lɪn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#38,035
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mandolin”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).mandolinlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “mandala” (#38,034), “mambo” (#38,033), “malkin” (#38,032). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mandolin” is #38,035. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around mandolin (IPA /ˈmændə(ˌ)lɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #38,035 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for mandolin, with forms such as "amndolin", "madnolin", and "manddolin". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "mandarin", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French mandoline, from Italian mandolino, diminutive of mandola, a large stringed instrument. The correct English form is mandolin, spelled M-A-N-D-O-L-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A stringed instrument of the lute family, having eight strings in four courses, frequently tuned as a violin, and with either a bowl-shaped back or a flat back.
  2. 2
    A kitchen tool for julienning vegetables.

Etymology

From French mandoline, from Italian mandolino, diminutive of mandola, a large stringed instrument.

This word in other languages

mandolina(Español)mandoline(Français)Mandoline(Deutsch)bandolim(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amndolin
  • madnolin
  • manddolin
  • mandloin
  • mandoiln
  • mandolinn
  • mandollin
  • mandolni
  • manndolin
  • manodlin
  • mmandolin
  • mnadolin

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mandolin - 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.

amndolin2madnolin2manddolin1mandloin2mandoiln2mandolinn1mandollin1mandolni2
Edit distance from "mandolin"

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 "mandolin"?
"mandolin" is spelled M-A-N-D-O-L-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmændə(ˌ)lɪn/.
What does "mandolin" mean?
As a noun, "mandolin" means: A stringed instrument of the lute family, having eight strings in four courses, frequently tuned as a violin, and with either a bowl-shaped back or a flat back.
What words are commonly confused with "mandolin"?
"mandolin" is commonly confused with "mandarin". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mandolin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mandolin" is /ˈmændə(ˌ)lɪn/. 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 "mandolin"?
From French mandoline, from Italian mandolino, diminutive of mandola, a large stringed instrument. 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 "mandolin", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ligature#38,018Miyazaki#38,055Kirkwood#38,005Kerrigan#38,001

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

McGuinness12 variantsMcNulty12 variantsmediaeval12 variantsoptimally12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list