recoup
/ɹɪˈkuːp/
"recoup" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“recoup” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,807 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #29,807
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 8
- tracked misspellings
- 9
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make back (an investment or similar).
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | recoup |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɹɪˈkuːp/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #29,807 |
| Misspellings tracked | 8 |
| Confusable pairs | 9 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “recoup” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for recoup is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪˈkuːp/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,807 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for recoup, with forms such as "ercoup", "rceoup", and "reccoup". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "recur", "rectum", "regroup", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From French recouper (“cut short”). The correct English form is recoup, spelled R-E-C-O-U-P.
Definition
- 1To make back (an investment or similar).
- 2To recover from an error.
- 3To keep back rightfully (a part), as if by cutting off, so as to diminish a sum due; to take off (a part) from damages; to deduct.
- 4To reimburse; to indemnify; often used reflexively and in the passive voice.
Etymology
From French recouper (“cut short”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ercoup,rceoup,reccoup,recopu,recoupp,recuop,reocup,rrecoup
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of recoup - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “recoup”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is R-E-C-O-U-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɹɪˈkuːp/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “recur” - see the side-by-side comparison. recoup vs recur
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.