rainbow

/ˈɹeɪnboʊ/

//ˈɹeɪnboʊ// noun

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

"rainbow" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“rainbow” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,403. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,403
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A multicoloured arch in the sky, produced by prismatic refraction of light within droplets of rain in the air.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rainbow · rainbow · English

rainbow · rank #6,403 · 10 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,403
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH quantum

Nearest frequency peer: quantum (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “rainbow”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “rainbow” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for rainbow
PropertyValue
Headwordrainbow
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹeɪnboʊ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#6,403
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “rainbow”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).rainbowlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “quantum” (#6,402), “rebels” (#6,404), “quantity” (#6,401). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “rainbow” is #6,403. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around rainbow (IPA /ˈɹeɪnboʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,403 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for rainbow, with forms such as "arinbow", "raibnow", and "rainbbow". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English reynbowe, raynbowe, from Old English reġnboga (“rainbow”), from Proto-West Germanic *regnabogō, from Proto-Germanic *regnabugô (“rainbow”), equivalent to rain + bow (“arch”). Cognate with West Frisian reinbôge (“rainbow”), Dutch regenboo… The correct English form is rainbow, spelled R-A-I-N-B-O-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    A multicoloured arch in the sky, produced by prismatic refraction of light within droplets of rain in the air.
  2. 2
    Any prismatic refraction of light showing a spectrum of colours.
  3. 3
    A wide assortment; a varied multitude.
  4. 4
    An illusion; a mirage.
  5. 5
    A curveball, particularly a slow one.
  6. 6
    A trick in which the player makes the ball arc over the opponent's head using both feet; rainbow kick
  7. 7
    In Texas hold 'em or Omaha hold 'em, a flop that contains three different suits.
  8. 8
    Rainbow trout.
  9. 9
    A person within the LGBT community.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how rainbow appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Why are there so many songs about rainbows And what's on the other side? Rainbows are visions, but only illusions And rainbows have nothing to hide.
  2. a rainbow of possibilities

Etymology

From Middle English reynbowe, raynbowe, from Old English reġnboga (“rainbow”), from Proto-West Germanic *regnabogō, from Proto-Germanic *regnabugô (“rainbow”), equivalent to rain + bow (“arch”). Cognate with West Frisian reinbôge (“rainbow”), Dutch regenboog (“rainbow”), German Regenbogen (“rainbow”), Danish regnbue (“rainbow”), Swedish regnbåge (“rainbow”), Icelandic regnbogi (“rainbow”).

Synonyms

spectrum

This word in other languages

arco iris(Español)arc-en-ciel(Français)Regenbogen(Deutsch)arco-íris(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • arinbow
  • raibnow
  • rainbbow
  • rainboww
  • rainbwo
  • rainnbow
  • rainobw
  • ranibow
  • rianbow
  • rrainbow

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rainbow - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

arinbow2raibnow2rainbbow1rainboww1rainbwo2rainnbow1rainobw2ranibow2
Edit distance from "rainbow"

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 "rainbow"?
"rainbow" is spelled R-A-I-N-B-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹeɪnboʊ/.
What does "rainbow" mean?
As a noun, "rainbow" means: A multicoloured arch in the sky, produced by prismatic refraction of light within droplets of rain in the air.
What are common misspellings of "rainbow"?
Common misspellings include "arinbow", "raibnow", "rainbbow", "rainboww", "rainbwo". The correct spelling is "rainbow".
How do you pronounce "rainbow"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rainbow" is /ˈɹeɪnboʊ/. 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 "rainbow"?
From Middle English reynbowe, raynbowe, from Old English reġnboga (“rainbow”), from Proto-West Germanic *regnabogō, from Proto-Germanic *regnabugô (“rainbow”), equivalent to rain + bow (“arch”). Cognate with West Frisian reinbôge (“rainbow”), Dutc... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "rainbow", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

quantum#6,402outlook#6,392optical#6,391notable#6,389

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

shorts10 variantsashamed10 variantshostile10 variantshorizon10 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list