Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

mata

/mˈɑtə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.47 in modern English

Syllables: ma-ta
IPA: /mˈɑtə/

6

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

2

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A respectful title for a female spiritual leader or for a wife, mother, or grandmother of a male spiritual leader.

Indian usage

noun

A Hindu goddess.

Indian usage

noun

A mother (also used as a term of address for a woman).

Indian usage

Example Sentences

"While possession is usually limited to Bhilala men, the mata entered women too, endowing them with the power of clairvoyance, enabling them to identify the evil spirits or daakans in their midst. The mata spoke through the possessed, forecasting the future, directing people and events for her proper propitiation."

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit माता (mātā), nom.sg. of मातृ (mātṛ, “mother”). Doublet of mater and mother.

Usage

Indian usage

Inflected Forms

matas (plural) mātā (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

Devi matamata

Rhymes With

gotta lotta sonata ata janata plata regatta cotta fatah terracotta ricotta renata

Questions

How do you pronounce mata?: The recorded pronunciation is /mˈɑtə/.
What does mata mean?: A respectful title for a female spiritual leader or for a wife, mother, or grandmother of a male spiritual leader.
Where does mata come from?: Borrowed from Sanskrit माता (mātā), nom.sg. of मातृ (mātṛ, “mother”). Doublet of mater and mother.

How to pronounce mata

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “mata”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/mˈɑtə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “mata”.
Repeat and practice — Say “mata” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.