readme

/ˈɹidmi/

//ˈɹidmi// noun

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

"readme" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“readme” is uncommon English (frequency #75,341 among 3,094 “R” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,341
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A text file meant to be read before taking any significant action with the items it accompanies.

Corpus desk

Index EN-readme · readme · English

readme · rank #75,341 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #75,341
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH realest

Nearest frequency peer: realest (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “readme”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “readme” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for readme
PropertyValue
Headwordreadme
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹidmi/
Letters6
Frequency rank#75,341
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “readme” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).readmefalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “realest” (#75,342), “ravish” (#75,339), “reallocate” (#75,343). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “readme” is #75,341. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

readme is uncommon English at frequency #75,341 among 3,094 “R” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɹidmi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A text file meant to be read before taking any significant action with the items it accompanies.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for readme, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From read + me. The correct English form is readme, spelled R-E-A-D-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A text file meant to be read before taking any significant action with the items it accompanies.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Remember, there may be many readmes in many different locations within the patch itself. Search and read all readmes before proceeding.

Etymology

From read + me.

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 "readme"?
"readme" is spelled R-E-A-D-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹidmi/.
What does "readme" mean?
As a noun, "readme" means: A text file meant to be read before taking any significant action with the items it accompanies.
How do you pronounce "readme"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "readme" is /ˈɹidmi/. 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 "readme"?
From read + me. 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 "readme", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ravish#75,339quadra#75,327punked#75,323riddim#75,360

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list