portmanteau

/pɔːtˈmæn.təʊ/

//pɔːtˈmæn.təʊ// noun

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

"portmanteau" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“portmanteau” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #49,563. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#49,563
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A large travelling case usually made of leather, and opening into two equal sections.

Corpus desk

Index EN-portmanteau · portmanteau · English

portmanteau · rank #49,563 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #49,563
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH porpoise

Nearest frequency peer: porpoise (-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 “portmanteau”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “portmanteau” 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 portmanteau
PropertyValue
Headwordportmanteau
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɔːtˈmæn.təʊ/
Letters11
Frequency rank#49,563
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “portmanteau”

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).portmanteaulands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “porpoise” (#49,562), “postural” (#49,564), “poppa” (#49,561). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “portmanteau” is #49,563. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around portmanteau (IPA /pɔːtˈmæn.təʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #49,563 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for portmanteau, with forms such as "oprtmanteau", "pormtanteau", and "porrtmanteau". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French portemanteau (“coat stand”), from porte (“carries”, third-person singular present indicative of porter (“to carry”)) + manteau (“coat”), literally “[that which] carries coat”. The correct English form is portmanteau, spelled P-O-R-T-M-A-N-T-E-A-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large travelling case usually made of leather, and opening into two equal sections.
  2. 2
    A schoolbag.
  3. 3
    A hook on which to hang clothing.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Rodolphus therefore finding such an earnest Invitation, embrac'd it with thanks, and with his Servant and Portmanteau, went to Don Juan's; where they first found good Stabling for their Horses, and afterwards as good Provision for themselves.
  2. He brought down with him to our haunted house a little cask of salt beef; for, he is always convinced that all salt beef not of his own pickling, is mere carrion, and invariably, when he goes to London, packs a piece in his portmanteau.

Etymology

From Middle French portemanteau (“coat stand”), from porte (“carries”, third-person singular present indicative of porter (“to carry”)) + manteau (“coat”), literally “[that which] carries coat”.

This word in other languages

maleta(Español)portemanteau(Français)Koffer(Deutsch)maleta(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • oprtmanteau
  • pormtanteau
  • porrtmanteau
  • portamnteau
  • portmanetau
  • portmannteau
  • portmantaeu
  • portmanteua
  • portmantteau
  • portmatneau
  • portmmanteau
  • portmnateau
  • porttmanteau
  • potrmanteau
  • pportmanteau
  • protmanteau

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of portmanteau - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

oprtmanteau2pormtanteau2porrtmanteau1portamnteau2portmanetau2portmannteau1portmantaeu2portmanteua2
Edit distance from "portmanteau"

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 "portmanteau"?
"portmanteau" is spelled P-O-R-T-M-A-N-T-E-A-U. The IPA pronunciation is /pɔːtˈmæn.təʊ/.
What does "portmanteau" mean?
As a noun, "portmanteau" means: A large travelling case usually made of leather, and opening into two equal sections.
What are common misspellings of "portmanteau"?
Common misspellings include "oprtmanteau", "pormtanteau", "porrtmanteau", "portamnteau", "portmanetau". The correct spelling is "portmanteau".
How do you pronounce "portmanteau"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "portmanteau" is /pɔːtˈmæn.təʊ/. 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 "portmanteau"?
From Middle French portemanteau (“coat stand”), from porte (“carries”, third-person singular present indicative of porter (“to carry”)) + manteau (“coat”), literally “[that which] carries coat”. 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 "portmanteau", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

puritanical#49,572periodicity#49,546perforation#49,545rationalist#49,581

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

platformer16 variantsrepudiation16 variantsstealthily16 variantslithograph16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list