mental

/ˈmɛn.təl/

//ˈmɛn.təl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“mental” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,565 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,565
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or relating to the mind or specifically the total emotional and intellectual response of an individual to external reality.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mental vs metal
83% similar
mental vs metals
67% similar
mental vs mentor
67% similar

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

Key facts for mental
PropertyValue
Headwordmental
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈmɛn.təl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,565
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mental” 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). mental 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 mental is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɛn.təl/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,565 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for mental, with forms such as "emntal", "menatl", and "menntal". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 17 confusable-pair relationships, "metal", "metals", "mentor", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowing from Middle French mental, from Late Latin mentālis, from mēns (“mind, disposition; heart, soul”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix). The correct English form is mental, spelled M-E-N-T-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or relating to the mind or specifically the total emotional and intellectual response of an individual to external reality.
  2. 2
    Of or relating to the mind or specifically the total emotional and intellectual response of an individual to external reality.
  3. 3
    Of or relating to the mind or specifically the total emotional and intellectual response of an individual to external reality.
  4. 4
    Of or relating to the mind or specifically the total emotional and intellectual response of an individual to external reality.
  5. 5
    Of or relating to the mind or specifically the total emotional and intellectual response of an individual to external reality.
  6. 6
    Of, relating to, or affected by a psychiatric disorder.
  7. 7
    Of, relating to, or affected by a psychiatric disorder.
  8. 8
    Of, relating to, or affected by a psychiatric disorder.
  9. 9
    Enjoyable or fun, especially in a frenetic way.
  10. 10
    Of or relating to telepathic or mind-reading powers.

Etymology

Borrowing from Middle French mental, from Late Latin mentālis, from mēns (“mind, disposition; heart, soul”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix).

This word in other languages

mental(Español)mental(Français)geistig(Deutsch)mental(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: emntal,menatl,menntal,mentall,mentla,menttal,metnal,mmental,mnetal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

emntal2menatl2menntal1mentall1mentla2menttal1metnal2mmental1
Edit distance from "mental"

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 "mental"?
"mental" is spelled M-E-N-T-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɛn.təl/.
What does "mental" mean?
As an adjective, "mental" means: Of or relating to the mind or specifically the total emotional and intellectual response of an individual to external reality.
What words are commonly confused with "mental"?
"mental" is commonly confused with "metal", "metals", "mentor". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mental"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mental" is /ˈmɛn.təl/. 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 "mental"?
Borrowing from Middle French mental, from Late Latin mentālis, from mēns (“mind, disposition; heart, soul”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix). 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 “mental”

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

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