mordant

/ˈmɔːdn̩t/

//ˈmɔːdn̩t// adj

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

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

The verdict

“mordant” is uncommon English (frequency #70,922 among 36,575 “M” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#70,922
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having or showing a sharp or critical quality.

Key facts for mordant
PropertyValue
Headwordmordant
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈmɔːdn̩t/
Letters7
Frequency rank#70,922
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mordant” 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). mordant lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

mordant is uncommon English at frequency #70,922 among 36,575 “M” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈmɔːdn̩t/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for mordant, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French mordant, from Latin mordeō. Doublet of mordent. The correct English form is mordant, spelled M-O-R-D-A-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having or showing a sharp or critical quality.
  2. 2
    Serving to fix a dye to a fiber.

Etymology

From French mordant, from Latin mordeō. Doublet of mordent.

This word in other languages

mordaz(Español)mordant(Français)beißend(Deutsch)

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 "mordant"?
"mordant" is spelled M-O-R-D-A-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɔːdn̩t/.
What does "mordant" mean?
As an adjective, "mordant" means: Having or showing a sharp or critical quality.
How do you pronounce "mordant"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mordant" is /ˈmɔːdn̩t/. 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 "mordant"?
From French mordant, from Latin mordeō. Doublet of mordent. 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 “mordant”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-O-R-D-A-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmɔːdn̩t/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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