mantilla

/manˈtɪlə/

//manˈtɪlə// noun

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

The verdict

“mantilla” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A lace veil of Spanish origin worn over a woman's hair and shoulders.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mantilla · mantilla · English

mantilla · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "M" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for mantilla
PropertyValue
Headwordmantilla
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/manˈtɪlə/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “mantilla” in English

mantillasits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

mantilla is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /manˈtɪlə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

mantilla has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Spanish mantilla (“large veil; small cape”), from manta (“blanket, cloth, cloth banner”) + -illa (diminutive). The correct English form is mantilla, spelled M-A-N-T-I-L-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A lace veil of Spanish origin worn over a woman's hair and shoulders.
  2. 2
    A woman's light cloak or cape made of silk, velvet, lace, or other material.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [M]y eyes were oft times [on the] charmante maitresse de la maison, who glided among her guests in her flowing Spanish mantilla, and train of the clearest blonde, doing her devoirs with winning kindness, and showing how much benevolence of manner adds to beauty.
  2. Still the mantilla preserved its sway; it had taken a fast hold of the affections of all classes of the feminine gender; and there is now as much chance of driving roast-beef from our shores as there is of transporting black mantillas. […] no squire's lady, no duke's duchess, no countess, and no queen, can or need, in these days of mantillas, be without o…

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish mantilla (“large veil; small cape”), from manta (“blanket, cloth, cloth banner”) + -illa (diminutive).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mantilla"?
"mantilla" is spelled M-A-N-T-I-L-L-A. The IPA pronunciation is /manˈtɪlə/.
What does "mantilla" mean?
As a noun, "mantilla" means: A lace veil of Spanish origin worn over a woman's hair and shoulders.
How do you pronounce "mantilla"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mantilla" is /manˈtɪlə/. 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 "mantilla"?
Borrowed from Spanish mantilla (“large veil; small cape”), from manta (“blanket, cloth, cloth banner”) + -illa (diminutive). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list