memento

/məˈmɛntoʊ/

//məˈmɛntoʊ// noun

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

The verdict

“memento” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #31,653 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#31,653
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A keepsake; an object kept as a reminder of a place or event.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

memento vs moment
71% similar
memento vs moments
71% similar

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

Key facts for memento
PropertyValue
Headwordmemento
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/məˈmɛntoʊ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#31,653
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “memento” 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). memento 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 memento is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /məˈmɛntoʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #31,653 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A keepsake; an object kept as a reminder of a place or event.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for memento, with forms such as "emmento", "meemnto", and "memennto". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "moment", "moments", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin mementō (“remember”), imperative form of meminī (“I remember”). The correct English form is memento, spelled M-E-M-E-N-T-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A keepsake; an object kept as a reminder of a place or event.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin mementō (“remember”), imperative form of meminī (“I remember”).

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: emmento,meemnto,memennto,memenot,mementto,memetno,memmento,memneto,mmeento,mmemento

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

emmento2meemnto2memennto1memenot2mementto1memetno2memmento1memneto2
Edit distance from "memento"

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 "memento"?
"memento" is spelled M-E-M-E-N-T-O. The IPA pronunciation is /məˈmɛntoʊ/.
What does "memento" mean?
As a noun, "memento" means: A keepsake; an object kept as a reminder of a place or event.
What words are commonly confused with "memento"?
"memento" is commonly confused with "moment", "moments". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "memento"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "memento" is /məˈmɛntoʊ/. 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 "memento"?
Borrowed from Latin mementō (“remember”), imperative form of meminī (“I remember”). 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 “memento”

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

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