raconteur

/ˌɹæk.ɒnˈtəː/

//ˌɹæk.ɒnˈtəː// noun

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

"raconteur" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“raconteur” is uncommon English (frequency #81,735 among 21,470 “R” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#81,735
frequency rank, English
21,470
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A storyteller, especially a person noted for telling stories with skill and wit.

Key facts for raconteur
PropertyValue
Headwordraconteur
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɹæk.ɒnˈtəː/
Letters9
Frequency rank#81,735
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “raconteur” 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). raconteur 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

raconteur is uncommon English at frequency #81,735 among 21,470 “R” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌɹæk.ɒnˈtəː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A storyteller, especially a person noted for telling stories with skill and wit.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for raconteur, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French raconteur. The correct English form is raconteur, spelled R-A-C-O-N-T-E-U-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A storyteller, especially a person noted for telling stories with skill and wit.

Etymology

Borrowed from French raconteur.

This word in other languages

narrador(Español)raconteur(Français)

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 "raconteur"?
"raconteur" is spelled R-A-C-O-N-T-E-U-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɹæk.ɒnˈtəː/.
What does "raconteur" mean?
As a noun, "raconteur" means: A storyteller, especially a person noted for telling stories with skill and wit.
How do you pronounce "raconteur"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "raconteur" is /ˌɹæk.ɒnˈtəː/. 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 "raconteur"?
Borrowed from French raconteur. 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 “raconteur”

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

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

Other uncommon English 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list