rector

[…]

/[…]/ noun

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

The verdict

“rector” is uncommon German (frequency #79,619 among 42,116 “R” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#79,619
frequency rank, German
42,116
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - der Lenker, der Führer, der Herrscher, der Beherrscher

Key facts for rector
PropertyValue
Headwordrector
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[…]
Letters6
Frequency rank#79,619
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rector” sits in German 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). rector 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

rector is uncommon German at frequency #79,619 among 42,116 “R” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed […]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for rector, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is rector, spelled R-E-C-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    der Lenker, der Führer, der Herrscher, der Beherrscher
  2. 2
    der Steuermann
  3. 3
    der Erzieher
  4. 4
    der Territorialfürst
  5. 5
    der Rektor (einer Universität)

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "rector"?
"rector" is spelled R-E-C-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is […].
What does "rector" mean?
As a noun, "rector" means: der Lenker, der Führer, der Herrscher, der Beherrscher
How do you pronounce "rector"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rector" is […]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "rector" come from?
"rector" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “rector”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is R-E-C-T-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as […] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Other uncommon German 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