ratfink
/ˈɹætfɪŋk/
"ratfink" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“ratfink” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An informer or spy; a traitor.
Corpus desk
Index EN-ratfink · ratfink · English
ratfink · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "R" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | ratfink |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈɹætfɪŋk/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “ratfink” in English
Rare enough to double-check
ratfink is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɹætfɪŋk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for ratfink, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From rat + fink. The correct English form is ratfink, spelled R-A-T-F-I-N-K.
Definition
- 1An informer or spy; a traitor.
- 2A dislikable or contemptible person.
- 3A strikebreaker.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how ratfink appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
The authors have facetiously labeled the contemplated musical as 'Ratfink', after the name of its central character, James J. Ratfink. Its title is not meant in a derogatory sense.
The film director accused him of being the worst kind of a rat fink (rat pack talk) for leaving a play so early.
Etymology
From rat + fink.
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.