Skip to main content
PlainSpell

rather

rath·er/ˈɹæðɚ/adverb, interjection, noun, verb

rather is spelled R-A-T-H-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables (rath·er). It appears 209 times per million words in written English, the 483rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, rather means “Used to specify a choice or preference; preferably, in preference to. (Now usually followed by than)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in rather?

Letters6: R-A-T-H-E-R
Syllables2: rath·er
In writing209 times per million words; the 483rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is rather?

Rather appears 209 times per million words in written English, the 483rd most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce rather?

  • UK /ˈɹɑː.ðə(ɹ)/
  • US /ˈɹæðɚ/
  • /ˈɹʌðə(ɹ)/

As an interjection (“An enthusiastic affirmation”): /ˈɹɑː.ðə(ɹ)/, /ˌɹɑːˈðɜː(ɹ)/, /ˈɹæðɚ/.

Rather has 2 syllables, split rath·er in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-rather.wav, En-us-rather.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with rather?

2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as rather from its last stressed vowel (/æðəɹ/):

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of rather

  • rathers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • rathering participle, present
  • rathered participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does rather mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adverb

  1. 1

    Used to specify a choice or preference; preferably, in preference to. (Now usually followed by than)

    I'd rather not have spent all the money, but it really was an emergency.

  2. 2

    Used to introduce a contradiction; on the contrary.

    It wasn't supposed to be popular; rather, it was supposed to get the job done.

  3. 3

    Introducing a qualification or clarification; more precisely. (Now usually preceded by or.)

  4. 4

    Somewhat, quite; to an unexpected degree.

    It's been rather/quite a good meal overall, but this melon is rather too tasteless.

  5. 5

    obsoleteMore quickly.

verb

  1. 1

    nonstandardTo prefer; to prefer to.

    You'd rather us dead.

adjective

  1. 1

    obsoletePrior; earlier; former.

    Now no man dwelleth at the rather town of Damietta.

interjection

  1. 1

    datedAn enthusiastic affirmation.

    Would you like some? –Rather!

noun

  1. 1

    datedinformalA choice or a preference.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Rather in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchplutôt (preferably), au contraire (on the contrary)
Germaneher, lieber (preferably), im Gegenteil, sondern (on the contrary), um genau zu sein (more precisely)
Portugueseantes, preferivelmente, de preferência (preferably), ao contrário, aliás (on the contrary), mais (more precisely)
Spanishmás bien (preferably)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does rather come from?

From Middle English rather, from Old English hraþor, comparative of hraþe (“soon, early, fast”). More at rathe. Cognate with Dutch radder (“faster”), comparative of Dutch rad (“fast; quick”), German Low German radd, ratt (“rashly; quickly; hastily”), German gerade (“even; straight; direct”). By surface analysis, rathe + -er.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after rather