mentor

\mɑ̃.tɔʁ\

/\mɑ̃.tɔʁ\/ noun

The verdict

“mentor” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #13,426 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,426
frequency rank, French
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Celui qui sert de guide ou de conseiller à quelqu’un.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mentor vs motor
67% similar
mentor vs minor
67% similar
mentor vs monter
67% similar

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

Key facts for mentor
PropertyValue
Headwordmentor
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\mɑ̃.tɔʁ\
Letters6
Frequency rank#13,426
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mentor” 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). mentor 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 French entry for mentor is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \mɑ̃.tɔʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #13,426 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for mentor, with forms such as "emntor", "menntor", and "menotr". 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 18 confusable-pair relationships, "motor", "minor", "monter", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is mentor, spelled M-E-N-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Celui qui sert de guide ou de conseiller à quelqu’un.
  2. 2
    Cadre chargé d’améliorer les compétences et la réussite professionnelle d’un individu ou d’une équipe.
  3. 3
    Personne chargée de conseiller sur le plan artistique et commercial un artiste ou un groupe pour lui permettre d’atteindre une plus grande notoriété.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: emntor,menntor,menotr,mentorr,mentro,menttor,metnor,mmentor,mnetor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mentor - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

emntor2menntor1menotr2mentorr1mentro2menttor1metnor2mmentor1
Edit distance from "mentor"

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 "mentor"?
"mentor" is spelled M-E-N-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is \mɑ̃.tɔʁ\.
What does "mentor" mean?
As a noun, "mentor" means: Celui qui sert de guide ou de conseiller à quelqu’un.
What words are commonly confused with "mentor"?
"mentor" is commonly confused with "motor", "minor", "monter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mentor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mentor" is \mɑ̃.tɔʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "mentor" come from?
"mentor" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “mentor”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is M-E-N-T-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \mɑ̃.tɔʁ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “motor” - see the side-by-side comparison. mentor vs motor
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list