mastery

/ˈmɑːs.t(ə.)ɹi/

//ˈmɑːs.t(ə.)ɹi// noun

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

"mastery" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mastery” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,562 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,562
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The position or authority of a master; dominion; command; supremacy; superiority.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

mastery vs mater
71% similar
mastery vs matter
71% similar
mastery vs misery
71% similar

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

Key facts for mastery
PropertyValue
Headwordmastery
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɑːs.t(ə.)ɹi/
Letters7
Frequency rank#13,562
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mastery” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for mastery is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɑːs.t(ə.)ɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,562 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for mastery, with forms such as "amstery", "masetry", and "masstery". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "mater", "matter", "misery", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English maistery, maistrie, mastere, mastry, from Old French maistrie, equivalent to master + -y. The correct English form is mastery, spelled M-A-S-T-E-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The position or authority of a master; dominion; command; supremacy; superiority.
  2. 2
    Superiority in war or competition; victory; triumph; preeminence.
  3. 3
    The act or process of mastering; the state of having mastered; expertise.
  4. 4
    A contest for superiority.
  5. 5
    A masterly operation; a feat.
  6. 6
    The philosopher's stone.

Etymology

From Middle English maistery, maistrie, mastere, mastry, from Old French maistrie, equivalent to master + -y.

This word in other languages

dominio(Español)maîtrise(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amstery,masetry,masstery,masterry,masteryy,masteyr,mastrey,masttery,matsery,mmastery,msatery

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amstery2masetry2masstery1masterry1masteryy1masteyr2mastrey2masttery1
Edit distance from "mastery"

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 "mastery"?
"mastery" is spelled M-A-S-T-E-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɑːs.t(ə.)ɹi/.
What does "mastery" mean?
As a noun, "mastery" means: The position or authority of a master; dominion; command; supremacy; superiority.
What words are commonly confused with "mastery"?
"mastery" is commonly confused with "mater", "matter", "misery". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mastery"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mastery" is /ˈmɑːs.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 "mastery"?
From Middle English maistery, maistrie, mastere, mastry, from Old French maistrie, equivalent to master + -y. 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.

Using “mastery”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is M-A-S-T-E-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmɑːs.t(ə.)ɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “mater” - see the side-by-side comparison. mastery vs mater
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list