reach

/ɹiːt͡ʃ/

//ɹiːt͡ʃ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“reach” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,233. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,233
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To extend, stretch, or thrust out (for example a limb or object held in the hand).

Corpus desk

Index EN-reach · reach · English

reach · rank #1,233 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,233
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH pro

Nearest frequency peer: pro (-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 “reach”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “reach” 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).

reach vs rec
60% similar
reach vs real
60% similar
reach vs read
60% similar

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

Key facts for reach
PropertyValue
Headwordreach
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹiːt͡ʃ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,233
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “reach”

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).reachlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “pro” (#1,232), “rule” (#1,234), “physical” (#1,231). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reach” is #1,233. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around reach (IPA /ɹiːt͡ʃ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #1,233 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 17 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for reach, with forms such as "erach", "raech", and "reacch". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "rec", "real", "read", 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 rechen, from Old English rǣċan (“to reach”), from Proto-West Germanic *raikijan, from Proto-Germanic *raikijaną, from the Proto-Indo-European *Hreyǵ- (“to bind, reach”). The correct English form is reach, spelled R-E-A-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To extend, stretch, or thrust out (for example a limb or object held in the hand).
  2. 2
    To give to someone by stretching out a limb, especially the hand; to give with the hand; to pass to another person; to hand over.
  3. 3
    To stretch out the hand.
  4. 4
    To attain or obtain by stretching forth the hand; to extend some part of the body, or something held, so as to touch, strike, grasp, etc.
  5. 5
    To strike or touch.
  6. 6
    To extend an action, effort, or influence to; to penetrate to; to pierce, or cut.
  7. 7
    To extend to; to stretch out as far as; to touch by virtue of extent.
  8. 8
    To arrive at (a place) by effort of any kind.
  9. 9
    To make contact with.
  10. 10
    To connect with (someone) on an emotional level, making them receptive of (one); to get through to (someone).
  11. 11
    To arrive at a particular destination.
  12. 12
    To continue living until or up to (a certain age).
  13. 13
    To understand; to comprehend.
  14. 14
    To strain after something; to make (sometimes futile or pretentious) efforts.
  15. 15
    To extend in dimension, time etc.; to stretch out continuously (past, beyond, above, from etc. something).
  16. 16
    To sail on the wind, as from one point of tacking to another, or with the wind nearly abeam.
  17. 17
    To arrive at a particular destination, especially to join someone; to meet up.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He reached for a weapon that was on the table.
  2. He reached for his shoe with his legs.

Etymology

From Middle English rechen, from Old English rǣċan (“to reach”), from Proto-West Germanic *raikijan, from Proto-Germanic *raikijaną, from the Proto-Indo-European *Hreyǵ- (“to bind, reach”).

This word in other languages

llegar(Español)atteindre(Français)erreichen(Deutsch)chegar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erach
  • raech
  • reacch
  • reachh
  • reahc
  • recah
  • rreach

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of reach - 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.

erach2raech2reacch1reachh1reahc2recah2rreach1
Edit distance from "reach"

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 "reach"?
"reach" is spelled R-E-A-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹiːt͡ʃ/.
What does "reach" mean?
As a verb, "reach" means: To extend, stretch, or thrust out (for example a limb or object held in the hand).
What words are commonly confused with "reach"?
"reach" is commonly confused with "rec", "real", "read". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reach"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reach" is /ɹiːt͡ʃ/. 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 "reach"?
From Middle English rechen, from Old English rǣċan (“to reach”), from Proto-West Germanic *raikijan, from Proto-Germanic *raikijaną, from the Proto-Indo-European *Hreyǵ- (“to bind, reach”). 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 "reach", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

meant#1,228image#1,225civil#1,245floor#1,221

Similar misspelling depth

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

battle7 variantsbeach7 variantsnamed7 variantseffort7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list