mata

[ˈmat̪a]

/[ˈmat̪a]/ noun

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

The verdict

“mata” is a regularly-used Spanish word, ranked #2,618 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,618
frequency rank, Spanish
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Planta de poca altura y tallo múltiple o ramificado.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mata vs max
50% similar
mata vs mia
50% similar
mata vs may
50% similar

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

Key facts for mata
PropertyValue
Headwordmata
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈmat̪a]
Letters4
Frequency rank#2,618
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mata” sits in Spanish 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). mata 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 Spanish entry for mata is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈmat̪a]. Corpus data places it at rank #2,618 in overall Spanish word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for mata, with forms such as "amta", "maat", and "mmata". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "max", "mia", "may", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct Spanish form is mata, spelled M-A-T-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Planta de poca altura y tallo múltiple o ramificado.
  2. 2
    Cada una de varias plantas herbáceas que crecen juntas formando un haz apretado.
  3. 3
    Huerta de árboles de una misma especie.
  4. 4
    Lentisco (Pistacia lentiscus): arbusto dioico de la familia de las Anacardiáceas, de unos ocho metros de altura. Perennifolio, de corteza marrón rojiza, muy ramificado, hojas pinnadas, flores pequeñas de color amarillo rojizo a rojo oscuro. El fruto, de color rojo y negro, es usado como condimento y como goma de mascar (chicle). La resina de su tallo tiene uso como barniz y como materia prima en perfumería y en la industria farmacéutica. Su hábitat es la región del Mediterráneo.
  5. 5
    Por extensión, planta de cualquier tipo, ya sea herbácea, arbustiva o arbórea.

Synonyms

alfóncigoalfostigueiroalmacegueiraalmácigacharnecadarodaroeiralentiscolentisco macholentisco verdaderomata charnecapistacheropistacho

This word in other languages

shrub(English)arbrisseau(Français)Strauch(Deutsch)mata(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amta,maat,mmata,mtaa

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

amta2maat2mmata1mtaa2
Edit distance from "mata"

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 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mata"?
"mata" is spelled M-A-T-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈmat̪a].
What does "mata" mean?
As a noun, "mata" means: Planta de poca altura y tallo múltiple o ramificado.
What words are commonly confused with "mata"?
"mata" is commonly confused with "max", "mia", "may". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mata"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mata" is [ˈmat̪a]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "mata" come from?
"mata" is a Spanish word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “mata”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is M-A-T-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈmat̪a] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “max” - see the side-by-side comparison. mata vs max
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish 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