# rote vs rotten

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### rote
*noun · IPA /ɹəʊt/ · frequency rank #32,570*
Mechanical routine; a fixed, habitual, repetitive, or mechanical course of procedure.

### rotten
*adjective · IPA /ˈɹɒtn̩/ · frequency rank #9,531*
Of perishable items, overridden with bacteria and other infectious agents.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rote-vs-rotten