monstrance

/ˈmɒnstɹəns/

//ˈmɒnstɹəns// noun

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

The verdict

“monstrance” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An ornamental, often precious receptacle, either open or with a transparent cover, in which the sacramental bread (consecrated host) is placed for Eucharistic adoration.

Key facts for monstrance
PropertyValue
Headwordmonstrance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɒnstɹəns/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “monstrance” sits in English frequency

monstrance falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

monstrance is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmɒnstɹəns/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "An ornamental, often precious receptacle, either open or with a transparent cover, in which the sacramental bread (consecrated host) is placed for Eucharistic adoration.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for monstrance, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mustraunce, from Old French mostrance, monstrance, from post-classical Latin mōnstrantia, from classical Latin mōnstrāns, present participle of mōnstrāre (“to show”). The correct English form is monstrance, spelled M-O-N-S-T-R-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An ornamental, often precious receptacle, either open or with a transparent cover, in which the sacramental bread (consecrated host) is placed for Eucharistic adoration.

Etymology

From Middle English mustraunce, from Old French mostrance, monstrance, from post-classical Latin mōnstrantia, from classical Latin mōnstrāns, present participle of mōnstrāre (“to show”).

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "monstrance"?
"monstrance" is spelled M-O-N-S-T-R-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɒnstɹəns/.
What does "monstrance" mean?
As a noun, "monstrance" means: An ornamental, often precious receptacle, either open or with a transparent cover, in which the sacramental bread (consecrated host) is placed for Eucharistic adoration.
How do you pronounce "monstrance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "monstrance" is /ˈmɒnstɹəns/. 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 "monstrance"?
From Middle English mustraunce, from Old French mostrance, monstrance, from post-classical Latin mōnstrantia, from classical Latin mōnstrāns, present participle of mōnstrāre (“to show”). 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 “monstrance”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-O-N-S-T-R-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmɒnstɹəns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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