racist

/ˈɹeɪ.sɪst/

//ˈɹeɪ.sɪst// noun

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

"racist" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“racist” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,522 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,522
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person who believes in or supports racism; a person who believes that a particular race is superior to others, or who discriminates against other races.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

racist vs raise
67% similar
racist vs racks
67% similar
racist vs resist
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for racist
PropertyValue
Headwordracist
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹeɪ.sɪst/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,522
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “racist” sits in English 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). racist lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for racist is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɹeɪ.sɪst/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,522 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for racist, with forms such as "arcist", "raccist", and "racisst". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 14 confusable-pair relationships, "raise", "racks", "resist", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: 1932 (noun), 1938 (adjective). Formed from racism (1928), paralleling French raciste (1892). Replaced older racialist (1910). Equivalent to race + -ist. The correct English form is racist, spelled R-A-C-I-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who believes in or supports racism; a person who believes that a particular race is superior to others, or who discriminates against other races.
  2. 2
    A person who races (cars, etc.).

Etymology

1932 (noun), 1938 (adjective). Formed from racism (1928), paralleling French raciste (1892). Replaced older racialist (1910). Equivalent to race + -ist.

This word in other languages

racista(Español)raciste(Français)Rassist(Deutsch)racista(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: arcist,raccist,racisst,racistt,racits,racsit,raicst,rcaist,rracist

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of racist - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

arcist2raccist1racisst1racistt1racits2racsit2raicst2rcaist2
Edit distance from "racist"

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "racist"?
"racist" is spelled R-A-C-I-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹeɪ.sɪst/.
What does "racist" mean?
As a noun, "racist" means: A person who believes in or supports racism; a person who believes that a particular race is superior to others, or who discriminates against other races.
What words are commonly confused with "racist"?
"racist" is commonly confused with "raise", "racks", "resist". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "racist"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "racist" is /ˈɹeɪ.sɪst/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "racist"?
1932 (noun), 1938 (adjective). Formed from racism (1928), paralleling French raciste (1892). Replaced older racialist (1910). Equivalent to race + -ist. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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 “racist”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-A-C-I-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹeɪ.sɪst/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “raise” - see the side-by-side comparison. racist vs raise
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list