mistress

/ˈmɪs.tɹᵻs/

//ˈmɪs.tɹᵻs// noun

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

"mistress" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mistress” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,826 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,826
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A woman, specifically one with great control, authority or ownership.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mistress vs mistrust
75% similar
mistress vs mistresses
80% similar
mistress vs mattress
75% similar

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

Key facts for mistress
PropertyValue
Headwordmistress
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɪs.tɹᵻs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#8,826
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mistress” 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). mistress 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 mistress is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɪs.tɹᵻs/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,826 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for mistress, with forms such as "imstress", "misrtess", and "misstress". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "mistrust", "mistresses", "mattress", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English maistresse, from Old French maistresse (whence French maîtresse), feminine of maistre (“master”). By surface analysis, mist(e)r + -ess. The correct English form is mistress, spelled M-I-S-T-R-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A woman, specifically one with great control, authority or ownership.
  2. 2
    A female head of household.
  3. 3
    A female teacher.
  4. 4
    The other woman in an extramarital relationship, generally including sexual relations.
  5. 5
    A dominatrix.
  6. 6
    A woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery over it.
  7. 7
    A woman regarded with love and devotion; a sweetheart.
  8. 8
    A married woman; a wife.
  9. 9
    A respectful mode of address to a woman.
  10. 10
    The jack in the game of bowls.
  11. 11
    A female companion to a master (a man with control, authority or ownership).
  12. 12
    Female equivalent of master.
  13. 13
    Female equivalent of mister.

Etymology

From Middle English maistresse, from Old French maistresse (whence French maîtresse), feminine of maistre (“master”). By surface analysis, mist(e)r + -ess.

Synonyms

bit on the sideconcubinedoxydulcineagoomahlemanloonminxmistressnumber twoside bitchside chickside pieceside tingsprunkstrumpetwenchwifelet

Antonyms

wife

This word in other languages

dueña(Español)maîtresse(Français)Frau(Deutsch)senhora(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: imstress,misrtess,misstress,misterss,mistres,mistrress,mistrses,misttress,mitsress,mmistress,msitress

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

imstress2misrtess2misstress1misterss2mistres1mistrress1mistrses2misttress1
Edit distance from "mistress"

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 "mistress"?
"mistress" is spelled M-I-S-T-R-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪs.tɹᵻs/.
What does "mistress" mean?
As a noun, "mistress" means: A woman, specifically one with great control, authority or ownership.
What words are commonly confused with "mistress"?
"mistress" is commonly confused with "mistrust", "mistresses", "mattress". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mistress"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mistress" is /ˈmɪs.tɹᵻs/. 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 "mistress"?
From Middle English maistresse, from Old French maistresse (whence French maîtresse), feminine of maistre (“master”). By surface analysis, mist(e)r + -ess. 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 “mistress”

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

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