rebus

/ˈɹiːbəs/

//ˈɹiːbəs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“rebus” is uncommon English (frequency #51,350 among 21,470 “R” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,350
frequency rank, English
21,470
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An arrangement of pictures, symbols, or words representing phrases or words, especially as a word puzzle.

Key facts for rebus
PropertyValue
Headwordrebus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹiːbəs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#51,350
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rebus” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

rebus is uncommon English at frequency #51,350 among 21,470 “R” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɹiːbəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for rebus in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French rébus (“rebus (puzzle); ambiguity; word used in an oblique sense; unintelligible remark”), or directly from its probable etymon Latin rēbus, the ablative plural of rēs (“object, stuff, thing; issue, matter, subject, topic”), ultimately from Prot… The correct English form is rebus, spelled R-E-B-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    An arrangement of pictures, symbols, or words representing phrases or words, especially as a word puzzle.
  2. 2
    A pictographic component of a compound character (e.g. sinograph) used to hint at the pronunciation of the compound.
  3. 3
    An arrangement of pictures on a coat of arms which suggests the name of the person to whom it belongs.
  4. 4
    A type of crossword puzzle in which some squares contain entire words, or symbols representing words, instead of single letters.

Etymology

From French rébus (“rebus (puzzle); ambiguity; word used in an oblique sense; unintelligible remark”), or directly from its probable etymon Latin rēbus, the ablative plural of rēs (“object, stuff, thing; issue, matter, subject, topic”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *reh₁ís (“goods; wealth”). The connection between the English word and its Latin etymon is unclear. further etymology The following possibilities have been suggested, but according to the Oxford English Dictionary are problematic: * According to the French scholar Gilles Ménage (1613–1692) in Les origines de la langue françoise (The Origins of the French Language, 1650), it is taken from the phrase de rebus quae geruntur (“concerning the things that are taking place”) which was used in 16th-century Picardy as the name for satirical writings on contemporary subjects containing picture-riddles that were composed for an annual carnival. However, the term rebus de Picardie is first attested later than the word rébus, and so could simply refer to rebuses popular in Picardy at the time. * Alternatively, it could be from the phrase nōn verbīs sed rēbus meaning “not by words but by things”, but this “encounters difficulties in the chronology of the senses in French”.

This word in other languages

rébus(Français)Rebus(Deutsch)

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 "rebus"?
"rebus" is spelled R-E-B-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹiːbəs/.
What does "rebus" mean?
As a noun, "rebus" means: An arrangement of pictures, symbols, or words representing phrases or words, especially as a word puzzle.
How do you pronounce "rebus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rebus" is /ˈɹiːbəs/. 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 "rebus"?
From French rébus (“rebus (puzzle); ambiguity; word used in an oblique sense; unintelligible remark”), or directly from its probable etymon Latin rēbus, the ablative plural of rēs (“object, stuff, thing; issue, matter, subject, topic”), ultimately... 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.

Using “rebus”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is R-E-B-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹiːbəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list