Mardi Gras
/ˈmɑːdi ɡɹɑː/
"mardi-gras" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“Mardi Gras” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a proper noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The day when traditionally all fat and meat in the house were finished up, before Christians were banned from eating them during Lent, which commenced the following day on Ash Wednesday.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | Mardi Gras |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Proper noun |
| IPA | /ˈmɑːdi ɡɹɑː/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “Mardi Gras” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for Mardi Gras is 10 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɑːdi ɡɹɑː/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No misspelling variants are generated for Mardi Gras in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French mardi gras (literally “fat Tuesday”). The correct English form is Mardi Gras, spelled M-A-R-D-I- -G-R-A-S.
Definition
- 1The day when traditionally all fat and meat in the house were finished up, before Christians were banned from eating them during Lent, which commenced the following day on Ash Wednesday.
- 2The last day of a carnival, traditionally the celebration immediately before the start of Lent when joy would be out of place for Christians.
- 3A carnival.
Etymology
Borrowed from French mardi gras (literally “fat Tuesday”).
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 "Mardi Gras"?
What does "Mardi Gras" mean?
How do you pronounce "Mardi Gras"?
What is the origin of the word "Mardi Gras"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “Mardi Gras”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is M-A-R-D-I- -G-R-A-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈmɑːdi ɡɹɑː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.