matron

/ˈmeɪtɹən/

//ˈmeɪtɹən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“matron” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,620. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,620
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A mature or elderly woman, especially one of a higher social rank.

Corpus desk

Index EN-matron · matron · English

matron · rank #28,620 · 9 variants · 19 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,620
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 19 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH Mayfair

Nearest frequency peer: Mayfair (+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 “matron”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “matron” 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).

matron vs moron
67% similar
matron vs Myron
50% similar
matron vs motion
67% similar

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

Key facts for matron
PropertyValue
Headwordmatron
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmeɪtɹən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#28,620
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “matron”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Mayfair” (#28,621), “Marsha” (#28,618), “McAllister” (#28,622). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “matron” is #28,620. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around matron (IPA /ˈmeɪtɹən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,620 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for matron, with forms such as "amtron", "marton", and "matorn". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "moron", "Myron", "motion", 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 matrone, from Old French matrone, from Latin mātrōna (“married woman”), from māter (“mother”). Doublet of matrona. The correct English form is matron, spelled M-A-T-R-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A mature or elderly woman, especially one of a higher social rank.
  2. 2
    A mature or elderly woman, especially one of a higher social rank.
  3. 3
    A mature or elderly woman, especially one of a higher social rank.
  4. 4
    A wife or a widow, especially, one who has borne children.
  5. 5
    A housekeeper, especially, a woman who manages the domestic economy of a public institution.
  6. 6
    A female prison officer.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. grave from her cradle, insomuch that she was a matron before she was a mother
  2. But there’s no bottome, none / In my Voluptuouſneſſe : Your Wiues, your Daughters, / Your Matrons, and your Maides, could not fill vp / The Ceſterne of my Luſt, and my Deſire / All continent Impediments would ore-beare / That did oppoſe my will.

Etymology

From Middle English matrone, from Old French matrone, from Latin mātrōna (“married woman”), from māter (“mother”). Doublet of matrona.

This word in other languages

matrona(Español)matrone(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amtron
  • marton
  • matorn
  • matrno
  • matronn
  • matrron
  • mattron
  • mmatron
  • mtaron

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amtron2marton2matorn2matrno2matronn1matrron1mattron1mmatron1
Edit distance from "matron"

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 "matron"?
"matron" is spelled M-A-T-R-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmeɪtɹən/.
What does "matron" mean?
As a noun, "matron" means: A mature or elderly woman, especially one of a higher social rank.
What words are commonly confused with "matron"?
"matron" is commonly confused with "moron", "Myron", "motion". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "matron"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "matron" is /ˈmeɪtɹən/. 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 "matron"?
From Middle English matrone, from Old French matrone, from Latin mātrōna (“married woman”), from māter (“mother”). Doublet of matrona. 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 "matron", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Marsha#28,618marlin#28,616lashed#28,609mutton#28,634

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Mifflin9 variantsHuxley9 variantsgrocer9 variantsplacid9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list