Sound-alike words
Mantel vs. Mantle
Mantel is a noun for the shelf or frame around a fireplace. Mantle is a noun for a cloak, a covering layer or a role of responsibility, and Earth's mantle lies under the crust. Put photos on the mantel.
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| mantel | noun | a shelf above a fireplace, or the decorative frame around it |
| mantle | noun | a covering layer, or the thick layer of rock between Earth's crust and core |
| noun | a role or duty passed from one person to another; also, a loose cloak |
Mantel
noun: a shelf above a fireplace, or the decorative frame around it
- Grandma keeps family photos lined up on the mantel.
- We hung stockings from the mantel in December.
Mantle
noun: a covering layer, or the thick layer of rock between Earth's crust and core
- A mantle of snow covered the fields by morning.
- Earth's mantle is hot enough to flow very slowly.
noun: a role or duty passed from one person to another; also, a loose cloak
- After the coach retired, his assistant took up the mantle.
- Priya accepted the mantle of team captain in her final year.
How to remember the difference
Mantel and shelf both put the E before the L. Mantle, ending in -le, is the covering one: a cloak, a layer of snow, a role.
Good to know
Some dictionaries list mantle as a less common spelling for the fireplace shelf, but mantel is the standard choice in edited writing. Mantelpiece follows the same spelling.
Spot the mistake
She placed the candles on the fireplace
mantle.mantel.Correct: She placed the candles on the fireplace mantel.
Geologists study Earth's
mantelmantle using earthquake waves.Correct: Geologists study Earth's mantle using earthquake waves.
Check yourself
Pick the word that fits each sentence.
1. The clock on the chimed at midnight.
Answer: mantel. The clock sits on the fireplace shelf, so the word is mantel.
2. A thick of fog covered the harbor.
Answer: mantle. The fog is a covering layer, so the word is mantle.