recede

/ɹɪˈsiːd/

//ɹɪˈsiːd// verb

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

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

The verdict

“recede” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,339. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#41,339
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To move back; to retreat; to withdraw.

Corpus desk

Index EN-recede · recede · English

recede · rank #41,339 · 8 variants · 19 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #41,339
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 19 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rebelling

Nearest frequency peer: rebelling (-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 “recede”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “recede” 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).

recede vs reed
67% similar
recede vs Reese
50% similar
recede vs Reece
50% similar

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

Key facts for recede
PropertyValue
Headwordrecede
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈsiːd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#41,339
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “recede”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).recedelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “rebelling” (#41,338), “reciprocating” (#41,340), “reductase” (#41,341). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “recede” is #41,339. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around recede (IPA /ɹɪˈsiːd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #41,339 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for recede, with forms such as "ercede", "rceede", and "reccede". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "reed", "Reese", "Reece", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English receden, from Middle French receder and its etymon Latin recedere (“to withdraw; to go back”), from re- + cedere (“to go”). The correct English form is recede, spelled R-E-C-E-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To move back; to retreat; to withdraw.
  2. 2
    To cede back; to grant or yield again to a former possessor.
  3. 3
    To take back.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Like the hollow roar / Of tides receding from th' insulted shore.
  2. All bodies moved circularly have a perpetual endeavour to recede from the center.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English receden, from Middle French receder and its etymon Latin recedere (“to withdraw; to go back”), from re- + cedere (“to go”).

This word in other languages

alejarse(Español)reculer(Français)zurückgehen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ercede
  • rceede
  • reccede
  • recdee
  • recedde
  • receed
  • reecde
  • rrecede

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ercede2rceede2reccede1recdee2recedde1receed2reecde2rrecede1
Edit distance from "recede"

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 "recede"?
"recede" is spelled R-E-C-E-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈsiːd/.
What does "recede" mean?
As a verb, "recede" means: To move back; to retreat; to withdraw.
What words are commonly confused with "recede"?
"recede" is commonly confused with "reed", "Reese", "Reece". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "recede"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "recede" is /ɹɪˈsiːd/. 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 "recede"?
Inherited from Middle English receden, from Middle French receder and its etymon Latin recedere (“to withdraw; to go back”), from re- + cedere (“to go”). 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 "recede", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

savant#41,368Sommer#41,384Stewie#41,391stocky#41,393

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

phish8 variantsoverran8 variantsStraus8 variantsNewry8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list