Meaning & use
mantel
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
The shelf or ledge above a fireplace, often used to display photographs, ornaments, or clocks.
Grammar: Countable noun; usually singular in everyday use, but plural 'mantels' is possible when referring to more than one fireplace.
Patterns
- on the mantel
- above the mantel
- the mantel shelf
She placed a framed photo of her grandparents on the mantel.
The clock on the mantel struck midnight.
He dusted the mantel every Saturday morning.
Word forms
| plural | mantels |
|---|
Common combinations
- on the mantel
- The vase looks lovely on the mantel.
- mantel shelf
- He built a wooden mantel shelf above the fireplace.
- above the mantel
- A large mirror hung above the mantel.
- clear the mantel
- She cleared the mantel before painting the wall.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mantelpiece
- The usual British word for the same shelf; 'mantel' is more common in American English and often appears in the compound 'mantel shelf'.
- chimneypiece
- A more formal or old-fashioned word that can mean the whole decorative structure around a fireplace, not just the shelf.
Word family
- mantelpiece noun
- The shelf above a fireplace; the common British equivalent of 'mantel'.
Commonly confused: mantel or mantle?
mantel vs mantle
A 'mantle' is a loose cloak or a layer of the Earth, while a 'mantel' is only the shelf above a fireplace. Remember: 'mantel' has 'el' like 'shelf'.
Practice
Choose the correct word: 'She put the candle on the ______ above the fireplace.'
Choose one answer.
'Mantel' is the shelf above a fireplace. 'Mantle' means a cloak or a layer of the Earth, so it does not fit here. 'Mantelpiece' is also correct in British English, but the sentence uses 'the' before a singular noun; 'mantelpiece' would be correct too, but the question asks for the American spelling variant. 'Mantels' is plural and would not follow 'the' in this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mantel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.