matins

/ˈmætɪnz/

//ˈmætɪnz// noun

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

"matins" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“matins” is uncommon English (frequency #90,707 among 4,057 “M” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#90,707
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Together with lauds, the earliest of the canonical hours; traditionally prayed at sunrise or earlier.

Corpus desk

Index EN-matins · matins · English

matins · rank #90,707 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #90,707
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH masterminding

Nearest frequency peer: masterminding (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “matins”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “matins” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for matins
PropertyValue
Headwordmatins
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmætɪnz/
Letters6
Frequency rank#90,707
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “matins” in English

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).matinsfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “masterminding” (#90,706), “Matthiessen” (#90,708), “Martí” (#90,704). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “matins” is #90,707. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

matins is uncommon English at frequency #90,707 among 4,057 “M” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmætɪnz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for matins in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English matyns, matynes, from Old French matines. The correct English form is matins, spelled M-A-T-I-N-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Together with lauds, the earliest of the canonical hours; traditionally prayed at sunrise or earlier.
  2. 2
    Morning prayers.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. This chant was sung in many cathedrals both at First Vespers and at Matins for Christmas Day. In Notre Dame and many other churches, however, it was only performed at First Vespers.
  2. The monk must arise when the matins ring, / The abbot may sleep to their chime; / But the yeoman must start when the bugles sing / ’Tis time, my hearts, ’tis time.

Etymology

From Middle English matyns, matynes, from Old French matines.

This word in other languages

maitines(Español)matines(Français)Mette(Deutsch)

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 "matins"?
"matins" is spelled M-A-T-I-N-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmætɪnz/.
What does "matins" mean?
As a noun, "matins" means: Together with lauds, the earliest of the canonical hours; traditionally prayed at sunrise or earlier.
How do you pronounce "matins"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "matins" is /ˈmætɪnz/. 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 "matins"?
From Middle English matyns, matynes, from Old French matines. 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 "matins", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Madani#90,686Maccas#90,682milord#90,733mizzen#90,739

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list