rat race

/ˈɹæt ˌɹeɪs/

//ˈɹæt ˌɹeɪs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“rat race” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An activity or situation which is congested with participants and which is hectic or tedious, especially in the context of a busy, modern urban lifestyle.

Key facts for rat race
PropertyValue
Headwordrat race
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹæt ˌɹeɪs/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rat race” sits in English frequency

rat race falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

rat race is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɹæt ˌɹeɪs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for rat race, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. 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 rat + race. The correct English form is rat race, spelled R-A-T- -R-A-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An activity or situation which is congested with participants and which is hectic or tedious, especially in the context of a busy, modern urban lifestyle.
  2. 2
    The busy, modern urban lifestyle itself, especially when seen as a competition for wealth or power.
  3. 3
    Inconsiderate or unfair competition, where the competitors are willing to use any means to win.

Etymology

From rat + race.

This word in other languages

Rattenrennen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "rat race"?
"rat race" is spelled R-A-T- -R-A-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹæt ˌɹeɪs/.
What does "rat race" mean?
As a noun, "rat race" means: An activity or situation which is congested with participants and which is hectic or tedious, especially in the context of a busy, modern urban lifestyle.
How do you pronounce "rat race"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rat race" is /ˈɹæt ˌɹeɪs/. 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 "rat race"?
From rat + race. 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 “rat race”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-A-T- -R-A-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹæt ˌɹeɪs/ (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
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