matador

/ˈma.tə.dɔː/

//ˈma.tə.dɔː// noun

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

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

The verdict

“matador” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #38,488. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#38,488
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The person whose aim is to kill the bull in a bullfight.

Corpus desk

Index EN-matador · matador · English

matador · rank #38,488 · 10 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #38,488
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH Masha

Nearest frequency peer: Masha (-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 “matador”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “matador” 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 matador
PropertyValue
Headwordmatador
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈma.tə.dɔː/
Letters7
Frequency rank#38,488
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “matador”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).matadorlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Masha” (#38,487), “Marnie” (#38,485), “McDougall” (#38,491). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “matador” is #38,488. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around matador (IPA /ˈma.tə.dɔː/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #38,488 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for matador, with forms such as "amtador", "maatdor", and "mataddor". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Spanish matador (“killer”). Used in the English language as title for a bullfighter, however referred to as a torero in Spain. The correct English form is matador, spelled M-A-T-A-D-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    The person whose aim is to kill the bull in a bullfight.
  2. 2
    A certain game of dominoes in which four dominoes (the 4-3, 5-2, 6-1, and double blank), called matadors, may be played at any time in any way.
  3. 3
    The jack of clubs, or any other trump held in sequence with it, in the game of skat.
  4. 4
    One of the three chief cards in ombre and quadrille.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] few of these boys know how to fight alone, and hardly any without a knife or a gun. They are not to be equated with matadors or boxers or Hemingway heroes. They are dangerous pack hounds who will not even expose themselves singly in the outfield.
  2. The second is La Macarena, named after an Arabian princess, and she was preferred by another great matador, Joselito, and to see her leave her parish church of San Gil at one in the morning of Good Friday or return later in the day is held by many Sevillanos to be the most important thing that can happen during Holy Week.

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish matador (“killer”). Used in the English language as title for a bullfighter, however referred to as a torero in Spain.

This word in other languages

matador(Español)matador(Français)Matador(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amtador
  • maatdor
  • mataddor
  • matadorr
  • matadro
  • mataodr
  • matdaor
  • mattador
  • mmatador
  • mtaador

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of matador - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

amtador2maatdor2mataddor1matadorr1matadro2mataodr2matdaor2mattador1
Edit distance from "matador"

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 "matador"?
"matador" is spelled M-A-T-A-D-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈma.tə.dɔː/.
What does "matador" mean?
As a noun, "matador" means: The person whose aim is to kill the bull in a bullfight.
What are common misspellings of "matador"?
Common misspellings include "amtador", "maatdor", "mataddor", "matadorr", "matadro". The correct spelling is "matador".
How do you pronounce "matador"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "matador" is /ˈma.tə.dɔː/. 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 "matador"?
Borrowed from Spanish matador (“killer”). Used in the English language as title for a bullfighter, however referred to as a torero in Spain. 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 "matador", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Malachi#38,484magnify#38,483menthol#38,499Laverne#38,471

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

Magellan10 variantsMoseley10 variantsKenosha10 variantsNineveh10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list