react

/ɹiːˈækt/

//ɹiːˈækt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“react” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,538. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,538
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 act in response.

Corpus desk

Index EN-react · react · English

react · rank #5,538 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,538
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH reaches

Nearest frequency peer: reaches (-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 “react”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “react” 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).

react vs rec
60% similar
react vs ret
60% similar
react vs real
60% similar

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

Key facts for react
PropertyValue
Headwordreact
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹiːˈækt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#5,538
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “react”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).reactlands 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 “reaches” (#5,537), “realistic” (#5,539), “presidency” (#5,536). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “react” is #5,538. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around react (IPA /ɹiːˈækt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #5,538 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for react, with forms such as "eract", "raect", and "reacct". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "rec", "ret", "real", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From re- + act. Piecewise doublet of redact. The correct English form is react, spelled R-E-A-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To act in response.
  2. 2
    To act or perform a second time; to do over again; to reenact.
  3. 3
    To return an impulse or impression; to resist the action of another body by an opposite force
  4. 4
    To act upon each other; to exercise a reciprocal or a reverse effect, as two or more chemical agents; to act in opposition.
  5. 5
    To cause chemical agents to react; to cause one chemical agent to react with another.
  6. 6
    To post a reaction (icon or emoji indicating how one feels about a posted message).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. How did she react to the news?
  2. It is somewhat extraordinary, that the offence for which James II, was expelled, that of setting up power by assumption, should be re-acted, under another shape and form, by the parliament that expelled him.

Etymology

From re- + act. Piecewise doublet of redact.

This word in other languages

reaccionar(Español)réagir(Français)reagieren(Deutsch)reagir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eract
  • raect
  • reacct
  • reactt
  • reatc
  • recat
  • rreact

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of react - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

eract2raect2reacct1reactt1reatc2recat2rreact1
Edit distance from "react"

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 "react"?
"react" is spelled R-E-A-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹiːˈækt/.
What does "react" mean?
As a verb, "react" means: To act in response.
What words are commonly confused with "react"?
"react" is commonly confused with "rec", "ret", "real". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "react"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "react" is /ɹiːˈækt/. 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 "react"?
From re- + act. Piecewise doublet of redact. 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 "react", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

rocky#5,543shade#5,548teens#5,557Maine#5,517

Similar misspelling depth

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

vocal7 variantsyield7 variantsbacon7 variantscattle7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list