maîtresse

Name: maîtresse, French Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

\mɛ.tʁɛs\

/\mɛ.tʁɛs\/ noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“maîtresse” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #5,367 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,367
frequency rank, French: 9
letters: 12
tracked misspellings: 5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Celle qui a un pouvoir de domination sur les êtres ou les choses.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

maîtresse vs maîtrise

78% similar

maîtresse vs maîtrisée

78% similar

maîtresse vs maîtresses

90% similar

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

Key facts for maîtresse
Property	Value
Headword	maîtresse
Language	French
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	\mɛ.tʁɛs\
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#5,367
Misspellings tracked	12
Confusable pairs	5
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “maîtresse” sits in French 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). maîtresse lands here:

#5,367

#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 French entry for maîtresse is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \mɛ.tʁɛs\. Corpus data places it at rank #5,367 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 24 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for maîtresse, with forms such as "amîtresse", "maitresse", and "matîresse". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "maîtrise", "maîtrisée", "maîtresses", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is maîtresse, spelled M-A-Î-T-R-E-S-S-E.

Definition

1
Celle qui a un pouvoir de domination sur les êtres ou les choses.
2
Celle qui a un pouvoir de domination sur les êtres ou les choses.
3
Celle qui a un pouvoir de domination sur les êtres ou les choses.
4
Celle qui a un pouvoir de domination sur les êtres ou les choses.
5
Celle qui a un pouvoir de domination sur les êtres ou les choses.
6
Celle qui a un pouvoir de domination sur les êtres ou les choses.
7
Celle qui a un pouvoir de domination sur les êtres ou les choses.
8
Celle qui a un pouvoir de domination sur les êtres ou les choses.
9
Celle qui a quelque chose en sa possession ou en sa puissance.
10
Celle qui a quelque chose en sa possession ou en sa puissance.
11
Celle qui a quelque chose en sa possession ou en sa puissance.
12
Celle qui a quelque chose en sa possession ou en sa puissance.
13
Celle qui a autorité ou fait autorité dans un domaine d’activité.
14
Celle qui a autorité ou fait autorité dans un domaine d’activité.
15
Celle qui a autorité ou fait autorité dans un domaine d’activité.
16
Celle qui a autorité ou fait autorité dans un domaine d’activité.
17
Celle qui a autorité ou fait autorité dans un domaine d’activité.
18
Celle qui enseigne, instruit, qui a des élèves, des disciples.
19
Celle qui enseigne, instruit, qui a des élèves, des disciples.
20
Celle qui enseigne, instruit, qui a des élèves, des disciples.
21
Appellatif utilisé pour s’adresser à une personne importante.
22
Amante, partenaire sexuelle en dehors du mariage.
23
Personnification d’une addiction.
24
Patronne, ou épouse du patron.

Synonyms

dirigeante propriétaire institutrice professeure professeuse amante deuxième bureau dulcinée

This word in other languages

mistress(English)dueña(Español)Herrin(Deutsch)senhora(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amîtresse,maitresse,matîresse,maîrtesse,maîtersse,maîtrese,maîtreses,maîtrresse,maîtrsese,maîttresse,mmaîtresse,mîatresse

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "maîtresse"

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "maîtresse"?

"maîtresse" is spelled M-A-Î-T-R-E-S-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is \mɛ.tʁɛs\.

What does "maîtresse" mean?

As a noun, "maîtresse" means: Celle qui a un pouvoir de domination sur les êtres ou les choses.

What words are commonly confused with "maîtresse"?

"maîtresse" is commonly confused with "maîtrise", "maîtrisée", "maîtresses". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "maîtresse"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "maîtresse" is \mɛ.tʁɛs\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What language does "maîtresse" come from?

"maîtresse" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.

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 “maîtresse”

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

The one correct French spelling is M-A-Î-T-R-E-S-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as \mɛ.tʁɛs\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “maîtrise” - see the side-by-side comparison. maîtresse vs maîtrise
Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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.