mistress

/ˈmɪstɹɪs/

//ˈmɪstɹɪs// noun

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

The verdict

“mistress” is uncommon Portuguese (frequency #84,036 among 2,261 “M” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#84,036
frequency rank, Portuguese
2,261
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - senhora (masc. mister)

Key facts for mistress
PropertyValue
Headwordmistress
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɪstɹɪs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#84,036
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mistress” sits in Portuguese 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). mistress 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

mistress is uncommon Portuguese at frequency #84,036 among 2,261 “M” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmɪstɹɪs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for mistress, a sign its spelling follows regular Portuguese conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct Portuguese form is mistress, spelled M-I-S-T-R-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    senhora (masc. mister)
  2. 2
    mestra; professora (masc. master)
  3. 3
    amante

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mistress"?
"mistress" is spelled M-I-S-T-R-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪstɹɪs/.
What does "mistress" mean?
As a noun, "mistress" means: senhora (masc. mister)
How do you pronounce "mistress"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mistress" is /ˈmɪstɹɪs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "mistress" come from?
"mistress" is a Portuguese 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 “mistress”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is M-I-S-T-R-E-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmɪstɹɪs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Portuguese words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Portuguese words

Other uncommon Portuguese 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