raindrop

/ˈɹeɪndɹɒp/

//ˈɹeɪndɹɒp// noun

"raindrop" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“raindrop” is uncommon English (frequency #65,437 among 21,470 “R” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,437
frequency rank, English
21,470
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A single droplet of rainwater that has just fallen or is falling from the sky.

Key facts for raindrop
PropertyValue
Headwordraindrop
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹeɪndɹɒp/
Letters8
Frequency rank#65,437
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “raindrop” 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). raindrop 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

raindrop is uncommon English at frequency #65,437 among 21,470 “R” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɹeɪndɹɒp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A single droplet of rainwater that has just fallen or is falling from the sky.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for raindrop, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English rein-drope, reyn-drope, reyn drope, from Old English reġndropa, from Proto-Germanic *regnadrupô. Equivalent to rain + drop. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Riendruppe, West Frisian reindrip, Dutch regendroppel, regendruppel, German Low Ge… The correct English form is raindrop, spelled R-A-I-N-D-R-O-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A single droplet of rainwater that has just fallen or is falling from the sky.

Etymology

From Middle English rein-drope, reyn-drope, reyn drope, from Old English reġndropa, from Proto-Germanic *regnadrupô. Equivalent to rain + drop. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Riendruppe, West Frisian reindrip, Dutch regendroppel, regendruppel, German Low German Regendrüpp, German Regentropfen, Swedish regndroppe, Icelandic regndropi.

This word in other languages

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 "raindrop"?
"raindrop" is spelled R-A-I-N-D-R-O-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹeɪndɹɒp/.
What does "raindrop" mean?
As a noun, "raindrop" means: A single droplet of rainwater that has just fallen or is falling from the sky.
How do you pronounce "raindrop"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "raindrop" is /ˈɹeɪndɹɒp/. 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 "raindrop"?
From Middle English rein-drope, reyn-drope, reyn drope, from Old English reġndropa, from Proto-Germanic *regnadrupô. Equivalent to rain + drop. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Riendruppe, West Frisian reindrip, Dutch regendroppel, regendruppel, Ger... 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 “raindrop”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-A-I-N-D-R-O-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹeɪndɹɒp/ (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