# rare

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ɹɛ/ · frequency rank #1,772

## Definitions
1. Very uncommon; scarce.
2. Small in number (but not unusual); infrequent; sparse.
3. Thin; of low density.
4. Good; enjoyable.

## Etymology
From Middle English rare, from Old French rare, rere (“rare, uncommon”), from Latin rārus (“loose, spaced apart, thin, infrequent”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁- (“friable, thin”). Displaced native English geason (“rare, scarce”) (from Middle English gesen, from Old English gǣsne); and replaced Middle English seld (“rare, uncommon”) (from Old English selden) and Middle English seldscene (“rare, rarely seen, infrequent”) (from Old English seldsēne).

## Easily confused with
- **re** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-re)
- **RR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-rr)
- **ray** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-ray)
- **raw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-raw)
- **rat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-rat)
- **rue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-rue)
- **rye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-rye)
- **roe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-roe)
- **ras** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-ras)
- **ree** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-ree)
- **rav** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-rav)
- **rate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-rate)
- **rule** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-rule)
- **ride** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-ride)
- **rose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-rose)
- **rise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-rise)
- **rice** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-rice)
- **Rome** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-rome)
- **rear** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-rear)
- **rude** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-rude)

## Common misspellings (5)
`arre`, `raer`, `rarre`, `rrae`, `rrare`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/rare