redcoat

/ˈɹɛdˌkoʊt/

//ˈɹɛdˌkoʊt// noun

"redcoat" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“redcoat” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A British soldier (stemming from the military uniform of British infantry since the 17th century).

Corpus desk

Index EN-redcoat · redcoat · English

redcoat · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "R" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for redcoat
PropertyValue
Headwordredcoat
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɛdˌkoʊt/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “redcoat” in English

redcoatsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

redcoat is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɹɛdˌkoʊt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for redcoat, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Bahuvrihi compound of red + coat. The correct English form is redcoat, spelled R-E-D-C-O-A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A British soldier (stemming from the military uniform of British infantry since the 17th century).
  2. 2
    A member of the entertainment staff at Butlin's holiday camps in the United Kingdom, who wear red blazers.
  3. 3
    A fox.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The street sounds to the soldiers’ tread, / And out we troop to see: / A single redcoat turns his head, / He turns and looks at me.
  2. He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon; / And out o' the tawny sunset, before the rise o' the moon, / When the road was a gypsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor, / A red-coat troop came marching— / Marching—marching— / King George's men came marching, up to the old inn-door.

Etymology

Bahuvrihi compound of red + coat.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "redcoat"?
"redcoat" is spelled R-E-D-C-O-A-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛdˌkoʊt/.
What does "redcoat" mean?
As a noun, "redcoat" means: A British soldier (stemming from the military uniform of British infantry since the 17th century).
How do you pronounce "redcoat"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "redcoat" is /ˈɹɛdˌkoʊt/. 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 "redcoat"?
Bahuvrihi compound of red + coat. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list