recourse
/ˈɹiːkɔɹs/noun
recourse is spelled R-E-C-O-U-R-S-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 19,825th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, recourse means “The act of seeking assistance or advice” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of recourse is recourses.
How many letters and syllables are in recourse?
| Letters | 8: R-E-C-O-U-R-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.9 times per million words; the 19,825th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is recourse?
Recourse appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 19,825th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce recourse?
- UK /ɹɪˈkɔːs/
- US /ˈɹiːkɔɹs/
- /ɹɪˈko(ː)ɹs/
Recourse has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-recourse.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with recourse?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as recourse (/ikɔɹs/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: resource.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of recourse
- recourses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- recoursing participle, present
- recoursed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does recourse mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The act of seeking assistance or advice.
- 2
The use of (someone or something) as a source of help in a difficult situation.
- 3
obsoleteA coursing back, or coursing again; renewed course; return; retreat; recurrence.
- 4
obsoleteAccess; admittance.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo return; to recur.
- 2
obsoleteTo have recourse; to resort.
- 3
obsoleteTo recurse (execute a procedure recursively).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Recourse in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense act of seeking assistance or advice:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | récursoire |
| Spanish | recurso |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does recourse come from?
From Middle English recours (noun) and recoursen (verb), from Old French recours, from Latin recursus, past participle of recurrō.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).