razor

/ˈɹeɪzə/

//ˈɹeɪzə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“razor” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,919. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,919
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A keen-edged knife of peculiar shape, used in shaving the hair from the face or other parts of the body.

Corpus desk

Index EN-razor · razor · English

razor · rank #10,919 · 7 variants · 14 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,919
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 14 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rang

Nearest frequency peer: rang (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “razor”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “razor” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

razor vs rumor
60% similar
razor vs rotor
60% similar
razor vs rigor
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for razor
PropertyValue
Headwordrazor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹeɪzə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#10,919
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “razor”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).razorlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “rang” (#10,918), “realization” (#10,920), “raining” (#10,917). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “razor” is #10,919. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around razor (IPA /ˈɹeɪzə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,919 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for razor, with forms such as "arzor", "raozr", and "razorr". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 14 confusable-pair relationships, "rumor", "rotor", "rigor", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English rasour, from Old French rasour, from raser (“to scrape, to shave”). More at rat. By surface analysis, raze + -or. Displaced the native Old English sċierseax (literally “shaving knife”). The correct English form is razor, spelled R-A-Z-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A keen-edged knife of peculiar shape, used in shaving the hair from the face or other parts of the body.
  2. 2
    Any tool or instrument designed for shaving.
  3. 3
    The sharp tusk of a wild boar.
  4. 4
    A conceptual device that allows one to shave away unlikely explanations for a phenomenon.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how razor appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. These are fellows who shun the three-, four- and five-blade contraptions and canned goops for an older mode of shaving that they insist remains the ideal: a straight razor or a safety razor with a double-edged blade, and a fine English cream lathered and applied with a badger-hair brush.
  2. The box was jam packed full o' gifts for each manjack of us: razors, aftershave, toothbrushes, an' books.

Etymology

From Middle English rasour, from Old French rasour, from raser (“to scrape, to shave”). More at rat. By surface analysis, raze + -or. Displaced the native Old English sċierseax (literally “shaving knife”).

This word in other languages

navaja(Español)rasoir(Français)Rasiermesser(Deutsch)navalha(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • arzor
  • raozr
  • razorr
  • razro
  • razzor
  • rrazor
  • rzaor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of razor - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

arzor2raozr2razorr1razro2razzor1rrazor1rzaor2
Edit distance from "razor"

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 "razor"?
"razor" is spelled R-A-Z-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹeɪzə/.
What does "razor" mean?
As a noun, "razor" means: A keen-edged knife of peculiar shape, used in shaving the hair from the face or other parts of the body.
What words are commonly confused with "razor"?
"razor" is commonly confused with "rumor", "rotor", "rigor". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "razor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "razor" is /ˈɹeɪzə/. 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 "razor"?
From Middle English rasour, from Old French rasour, from raser (“to scrape, to shave”). More at rat. By surface analysis, raze + -or. Displaced the native Old English sċierseax (literally “shaving knife”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "razor", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

prose#10,913props#10,912pixel#10,909onset#10,900

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

steer7 variantsbadass7 variantsbarred7 variantsbingo7 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list