mercantile

/ˈmɜːkənˌtaɪl/

//ˈmɜːkənˌtaɪl// adj

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

"mercantile" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mercantile” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,153. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,153
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Concerned with the exchange of goods for profit.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mercantile · mercantile · English

mercantile · rank #22,153 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,153
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH mellon

Nearest frequency peer: mellon (-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 “mercantile”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “mercantile” 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
Key facts for mercantile
PropertyValue
Headwordmercantile
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈmɜːkənˌtaɪl/
Letters10
Frequency rank#22,153
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mercantile”

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).mercantilelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “mellon” (#22,152), “migratory” (#22,154), “medial” (#22,151). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mercantile” is #22,153. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around mercantile (IPA /ˈmɜːkənˌtaɪl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #22,153 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for mercantile, with forms such as "emrcantile", "mecrantile", and "meracntile". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French mercantile, from Italian mercantile, from mercante (“merchant”), from Latin mercāns (“trading”). The correct English form is mercantile, spelled M-E-R-C-A-N-T-I-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Concerned with the exchange of goods for profit.
  2. 2
    Of or relating to mercantilism.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. No sign was over his door; in fact—as with old banks and mercantile houses—advertising in any shape was scorned, and it would have been felt as beneath his dignity to paint, for the benefit of strangers, the name of an establishment the trade of which came solely by connection based on personal respect.

Etymology

Borrowed from French mercantile, from Italian mercantile, from mercante (“merchant”), from Latin mercāns (“trading”).

This word in other languages

mercantil(Español)mercantile(Français)mercantil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • emrcantile
  • mecrantile
  • meracntile
  • mercanitle
  • mercanntile
  • mercantiel
  • mercantille
  • mercantlie
  • mercanttile
  • mercatnile
  • merccantile
  • mercnatile
  • merrcantile
  • mmercantile
  • mrecantile

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

emrcantile2mecrantile2meracntile2mercanitle2mercanntile1mercantiel2mercantille1mercantlie2
Edit distance from "mercantile"

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 "mercantile"?
"mercantile" is spelled M-E-R-C-A-N-T-I-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɜːkənˌtaɪl/.
What does "mercantile" mean?
As an adjective, "mercantile" means: Concerned with the exchange of goods for profit.
What are common misspellings of "mercantile"?
Common misspellings include "emrcantile", "mecrantile", "meracntile", "mercanitle", "mercanntile". The correct spelling is "mercantile".
How do you pronounce "mercantile"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mercantile" is /ˈmɜːkənˌtaɪl/. 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 "mercantile"?
Borrowed from French mercantile, from Italian mercantile, from mercante (“merchant”), from Latin mercāns (“trading”). 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 "mercantile", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

interfered#22,123Schumacher#22,208scoreboard#22,209forwarding#22,090

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

goldsmith15 variantsskateboard15 variantsstipulated15 variantssubversive15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list