rampant
/ˈɹæm.pənt/
"rampant" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“rampant” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,998 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #13,998
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 11
- tracked misspellings
- 4
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Rearing on both hind legs with the forelegs extended.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | rampant |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈɹæm.pənt/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #13,998 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 4 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “rampant” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for rampant is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɹæm.pənt/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,998 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for rampant, with forms such as "armpant", "ramapnt", and "rammpant". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "remnant", "rampart", "radiant", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English rampand, rampend, present participle of rampen (“to rise by climbing, shoot up, sprout, sty, ascend”), from Old French ramper (“to creep, climb”) (see below), equivalent to ramp + -and or ramp + -ant. Recorded since 1382, "standing on th… The correct English form is rampant, spelled R-A-M-P-A-N-T.
Definition
- 1Rearing on both hind legs with the forelegs extended.
- 2Rearing up, especially on its hind leg(s), with a foreleg raised and in profile.
- 3Tilted, said of an arch with one side higher than the other, or a vault whose two abutments are located on an inclined plane.
- 4Unrestrained or unchecked, usually in a negative manner.
- 5Rife, or occurring widely, frequently or menacingly.
Etymology
From Middle English rampand, rampend, present participle of rampen (“to rise by climbing, shoot up, sprout, sty, ascend”), from Old French ramper (“to creep, climb”) (see below), equivalent to ramp + -and or ramp + -ant. Recorded since 1382, "standing on the hind legs" (as in heraldry), later, "fierce, ravenous" (1387). Compare Scots rampand (“rampant”). Alternatively from Middle English *rampant, from Old French rampant, the present participle of ramper (“to creep, climb”), equivalent to ramp + -ant. Old French ramper derives from Frankish *rampōn, *hrampōn (“to hook, grapple, climb”), from *rampa, *hrampa (“hook, claw, talon”), from Proto-Germanic *hrempaną (“to curve, shrivel, shrink, wrinkle”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: armpant,ramapnt,rammpant,rampannt,rampantt,rampatn,rampnat,ramppant,rapmant,rmapant,rrampant
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rampant - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "rampant"?
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Using “rampant”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is R-A-M-P-A-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɹæm.pənt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “remnant” - see the side-by-side comparison. rampant vs remnant
- 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.