rater

/ˈɹeɪtə(ɹ)/

//ˈɹeɪtə(ɹ)// noun

"rater" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“rater” is uncommon English (frequency #66,968 among 21,470 “R” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,968
frequency rank, English
21,470
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who provides a rating or assessment.

Key facts for rater
PropertyValue
Headwordrater
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹeɪtə(ɹ)/
Letters5
Frequency rank#66,968
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rater” 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). rater 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

rater is uncommon English at frequency #66,968 among 21,470 “R” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɹeɪtə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "One who provides a rating or assessment.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for rater, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From rate (“to appraise”) + -er. The correct English form is rater, spelled R-A-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who provides a rating or assessment.

Etymology

From rate (“to appraise”) + -er.

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 "rater"?
"rater" is spelled R-A-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹeɪtə(ɹ)/.
What does "rater" mean?
As a noun, "rater" means: One who provides a rating or assessment.
How do you pronounce "rater"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rater" is /ˈɹeɪtə(ɹ)/. 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 "rater"?
From rate (“to appraise”) + -er. 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 “rater”

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

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