mature

/məˈt͡ʃɔː(ɹ)/

//məˈt͡ʃɔː(ɹ)// adj

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

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

The verdict

“mature” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,467 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#4,467
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Fully developed; grown up in terms of physical appearance, behaviour or thinking; ripe.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mature vs metre
67% similar
mature vs Maude
50% similar
mature vs Maura
50% similar

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

Key facts for mature
PropertyValue
Headwordmature
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/məˈt͡ʃɔː(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#4,467
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mature” 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). mature 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 mature is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /məˈt͡ʃɔː(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,467 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for mature, with forms such as "amture", "matrue", and "matture". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "metre", "Maude", "Maura", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From late Middle English mature, from Middle French mature, from Latin mātūrus. Doublet of maduro. Partially displaced ripe, from Old English rīpe (“ripe, mature”). The correct English form is mature, spelled M-A-T-U-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Fully developed; grown up in terms of physical appearance, behaviour or thinking; ripe.
  2. 2
    Brought to a state of complete readiness.
  3. 3
    Profound; careful.
  4. 4
    Come to, or in a state of, completed suppuration.
  5. 5
    Suitable for adults only, due to sexual themes, violence, etc.

Etymology

From late Middle English mature, from Middle French mature, from Latin mātūrus. Doublet of maduro. Partially displaced ripe, from Old English rīpe (“ripe, mature”).

Synonyms

adultgrownfull-grownadultishgrown upadultfor adultsmature

Antonyms

childishimmaturesuperficial

This word in other languages

maduro(Español)mûr(Français)reif(Deutsch)maduro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amture,matrue,matture,matuer,maturre,mautre,mmature,mtaure

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amture2matrue2matture1matuer2maturre1mautre2mmature1mtaure2
Edit distance from "mature"

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 "mature"?
"mature" is spelled M-A-T-U-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /məˈt͡ʃɔː(ɹ)/.
What does "mature" mean?
As an adjective, "mature" means: Fully developed; grown up in terms of physical appearance, behaviour or thinking; ripe.
What words are commonly confused with "mature"?
"mature" is commonly confused with "metre", "Maude", "Maura". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mature"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mature" is /məˈt͡ʃɔː(ɹ)/. 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 "mature"?
From late Middle English mature, from Middle French mature, from Latin mātūrus. Doublet of maduro. Partially displaced ripe, from Old English rīpe (“ripe, mature”). 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 “mature”

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

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