Raku
"raku" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“Raku” is uncommon English (frequency #80,791 among 21,470 “R” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #80,791
- frequency rank, English
- 21,470
- “R” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A style of Japanese pottery, considered the traditional style for the pottery used in the Japanese tea ceremony; (especially capitalized) such pottery made by the Raku family.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | Raku |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Proper noun |
| Letters | 4 |
| Frequency rank | #80,791 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “Raku” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
Raku is uncommon English at frequency #80,791 among 21,470 “R” headwords, classed as aproper noun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for Raku, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Japanese 楽 (raku, “fun, delightful”). A seal engraved with this word was marked on the early pieces. It was the title and seal used by 15 generations of potters. The correct English form is Raku, spelled R-A-K-U.
Definition
- 1A style of Japanese pottery, considered the traditional style for the pottery used in the Japanese tea ceremony; (especially capitalized) such pottery made by the Raku family.
- 2The English transliteration of a Japanese surname; specifically, that of the family traditionally licensed to manufacture the pottery.
Etymology
From Japanese 楽 (raku, “fun, delightful”). A seal engraved with this word was marked on the early pieces. It was the title and seal used by 15 generations of potters.
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 "Raku"?
What does "Raku" mean?
What is the origin of the word "Raku"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “Raku”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is R-A-K-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- 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.