diff --git a/numpy/ma/mrecords.py b/numpy/ma/mrecords.py
index 10b1b209c20e..cd38f0f5c568 100644
--- a/numpy/ma/mrecords.py
+++ b/numpy/ma/mrecords.py
@@ -667,8 +667,9 @@ def openfile(fname):
     raise NotImplementedError("Wow, binary file")
 
 
-def fromtextfile(fname, delimitor=None, commentchar='#', missingchar='',
-                 varnames=None, vartypes=None):
+def fromtextfile(fname, delimiter=None, commentchar='#', missingchar='',
+                 varnames=None, vartypes=None,
+                 delimitor=None):  # mispelled for backwards compatibility
     """
     Creates a mrecarray from data stored in the file `filename`.
 
@@ -676,7 +677,7 @@ def fromtextfile(fname, delimitor=None, commentchar='#', missingchar='',
     ----------
     fname : {file name/handle}
         Handle of an opened file.
-    delimitor : {None, string}, optional
+    delimiter : {None, string}, optional
         Alphanumeric character used to separate columns in the file.
         If None, any (group of) white spacestring(s) will be used.
     commentchar : {'#', string}, optional
@@ -692,6 +693,9 @@ def fromtextfile(fname, delimitor=None, commentchar='#', missingchar='',
 
 
     Ultra simple: the varnames are in the header, one line"""
+    if delimitor is not None:
+        delimiter = delimitor
+
     # Try to open the file.
     ftext = openfile(fname)
 
@@ -699,14 +703,14 @@ def fromtextfile(fname, delimitor=None, commentchar='#', missingchar='',
     while True:
         line = ftext.readline()
         firstline = line[:line.find(commentchar)].strip()
-        _varnames = firstline.split(delimitor)
+        _varnames = firstline.split(delimiter)
         if len(_varnames) > 1:
             break
     if varnames is None:
         varnames = _varnames
 
     # Get the data.
-    _variables = masked_array([line.strip().split(delimitor) for line in ftext
+    _variables = masked_array([line.strip().split(delimiter) for line in ftext
                                if line[0] != commentchar and len(line) > 1])
     (_, nfields) = _variables.shape
     ftext.close()
diff --git a/numpy/ma/tests/test_mrecords.py b/numpy/ma/tests/test_mrecords.py
index 27df519d266a..4b2c01df9947 100644
--- a/numpy/ma/tests/test_mrecords.py
+++ b/numpy/ma/tests/test_mrecords.py
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ def test_fromtextfile(self):
         with temppath() as path:
             with open(path, 'w') as f:
                 f.write(fcontent)
-            mrectxt = fromtextfile(path, delimitor=',', varnames='ABCDEFG')
+            mrectxt = fromtextfile(path, delimiter=',', varnames='ABCDEFG')
         assert_(isinstance(mrectxt, MaskedRecords))
         assert_equal(mrectxt.F, [1, 1, 1, 1])
         assert_equal(mrectxt.E._mask, [1, 1, 1, 1])