Matilda

/məˈtɪldə/

//məˈtɪldə// name

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

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

The verdict

“Matilda” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,701. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,701
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A female given name from the Germanic languages.

Corpus desk

Index EN-matilda · Matilda · English

Matilda · rank #20,701 · 10 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #20,701
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH maxi

Nearest frequency peer: maxi (+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 “Matilda”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “Matilda” 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).

Matilda vs Manila
71% similar

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

Key facts for Matilda
PropertyValue
HeadwordMatilda
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/məˈtɪldə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#20,701
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “Matilda”

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).Matildalands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “maxi” (#20,702), “magna” (#20,699), “McGill” (#20,703). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “Matilda” is #20,701. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around Matilda (IPA /məˈtɪldə/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #20,701 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A female given name from the Germanic languages.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for Matilda, with forms such as "amtilda", "maitlda", and "matidla". 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, "Manila", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English Matilda, from Old French Mathilde, from Old High German Mahthilt, Mehthilt, from Proto-West Germanic *Mahtihild, from Proto-Germanic *Mahtihildiz; compare German Mechthild, Old English Mæþhild (“Matilda”). The correct English form is Matilda, spelled M-A-T-I-L-D-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A female given name from the Germanic languages.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. But wondrously begotten, and begonne / By false illusion of a guilefull Spright, / On a faire Ladie Nonne, that whilome hight / Matilda, daughter to Pubidius, […]
  2. Countess of Laussitz - Matilda, too, by the mark! A good name, a marvellous good name, is not, Algernon? Musical, pretty, soft, smoothing, loveable. - - - many a fair prospect is spoiled by the mistake in the name. Call Matilda Joan, or Louisa Deborah, and you are ruined forever!

Etymology

From Middle English Matilda, from Old French Mathilde, from Old High German Mahthilt, Mehthilt, from Proto-West Germanic *Mahtihild, from Proto-Germanic *Mahtihildiz; compare German Mechthild, Old English Mæþhild (“Matilda”).

This word in other languages

Matilde(Español)Mathilde(Français)Mechthild(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amtilda
  • maitlda
  • matidla
  • matilad
  • matildda
  • matillda
  • matlida
  • mattilda
  • mmatilda
  • mtailda

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Matilda - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

amtilda2maitlda2matidla2matilad2matildda1matillda1matlida2mattilda1
Edit distance from "Matilda"

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 "Matilda"?
"Matilda" is spelled M-A-T-I-L-D-A. The IPA pronunciation is /məˈtɪldə/.
What does "Matilda" mean?
As a proper noun, "Matilda" means: A female given name from the Germanic languages.
What words are commonly confused with "Matilda"?
"Matilda" is commonly confused with "Manila". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Matilda"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Matilda" is /məˈtɪldə/. 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 "Matilda"?
From Middle English Matilda, from Old French Mathilde, from Old High German Mahthilt, Mehthilt, from Proto-West Germanic *Mahtihild, from Proto-Germanic *Mahtihildiz; compare German Mechthild, Old English Mæþhild (“Matilda”). 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 "Matilda", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

maestro#20,698McGrath#20,704Lillian#20,693Lazarus#20,687

Similar misspelling depth

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

nuanced10 variantsKirsten10 variantsOlympia10 variantsheroism10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list