redoubtable

/ɹɪˈdaʊtəbl̩/

//ɹɪˈdaʊtəbl̩// adj

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

"redoubtable" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“redoubtable” is uncommon English (frequency #78,998 among 3,094 “R” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#78,998
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Especially of a person.

Corpus desk

Index EN-redoubtable · redoubtable · English

redoubtable · rank #78,998 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #78,998
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH reformulation

Nearest frequency peer: reformulation (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “redoubtable”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “redoubtable” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for redoubtable
PropertyValue
Headwordredoubtable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɹɪˈdaʊtəbl̩/
Letters11
Frequency rank#78,998
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “redoubtable” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).redoubtablefalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “reformulation” (#78,999), “Reidy” (#79,000), “recalculate” (#78,992). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “redoubtable” is #78,998. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

redoubtable is uncommon English at frequency #78,998 among 3,094 “R” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ɹɪˈdaʊtəbl̩/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for redoubtable, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective is derived from Late Middle English redoutable (“worthy of honour, venerable; frightening, terrible”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman redoutable and Middle French redoutable, redoubtable, from Old French redotable (modern French redoutable), from … The correct English form is redoubtable, spelled R-E-D-O-U-B-T-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Especially of a person.
  2. 2
    Especially of a person.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The redoubtable New York Times has been called the “newspaper of record” of the United States.
  2. VVhere ſuch an other Rodomont, ſo furious, ſo valorous, ſo redoutable?

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English redoutable (“worthy of honour, venerable; frightening, terrible”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman redoutable and Middle French redoutable, redoubtable, from Old French redotable (modern French redoutable), from redoter (“to fear”) (whence Middle French redoubter, redouter, French redouter) + -able (suffix meaning ‘deserving of, worthy of’). Redoter is derived from re- (intensifying prefix) + doter (“to doubt; to fear”) (from Latin dubitō (“to doubt, be uncertain, waver in opinion”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dwi- (“apart, asunder; two”) + *bʰuH- (“to appear; to be; to become; to grow”), in the sense of being in two minds). The noun is derived from the adjective.

This word in other languages

redoutable(Français)respekteinflößend(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 "redoubtable"?
"redoubtable" is spelled R-E-D-O-U-B-T-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈdaʊtəbl̩/.
What does "redoubtable" mean?
As an adjective, "redoubtable" means: Especially of a person.
How do you pronounce "redoubtable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "redoubtable" is /ɹɪˈdaʊtəbl̩/. 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 "redoubtable"?
The adjective is derived from Late Middle English redoutable (“worthy of honour, venerable; frightening, terrible”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman redoutable and Middle French redoutable, redoubtable, from Old French redotable (modern French redoutab... 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 "redoubtable", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

recalculate#78,992reawakening#78,991personalise#78,935Peloponnese#78,929

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list