redshirt

/ˈɹɛd.ʃəː(ɹ)t/

//ˈɹɛd.ʃəː(ɹ)t// noun

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

"redshirt" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“redshirt” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #45,036. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#45,036
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A supporter of the Italian nationalist leader Giuseppe Garibaldi, especially a member of his thousand-man army which conquered Sicily.

Corpus desk

Index EN-redshirt · redshirt · English

redshirt · rank #45,036 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #45,036
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH referential

Nearest frequency peer: referential (+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 “redshirt”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “redshirt” 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
Key facts for redshirt
PropertyValue
Headwordredshirt
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɛd.ʃəː(ɹ)t/
Letters8
Frequency rank#45,036
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “redshirt”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).redshirtlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “referential” (#45,037), “refinements” (#45,038), “recuperation” (#45,033). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “redshirt” is #45,036. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around redshirt (IPA /ˈɹɛd.ʃəː(ɹ)t/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #45,036 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for redshirt, with forms such as "erdshirt", "rdeshirt", and "reddshirt". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Calque of Italian camicia rossa, equivalent to red + shirt. In later senses with reference to the uniforms or outfits worn by such people. The fandom slang sense emerged from the tendency of red-uniformed Starfleet officers to die in episodes of Star Trek: … The correct English form is redshirt, spelled R-E-D-S-H-I-R-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A supporter of the Italian nationalist leader Giuseppe Garibaldi, especially a member of his thousand-man army which conquered Sicily.
  2. 2
    A revolutionary or anarchist.
  3. 3
    A college athlete who spends a year not participating in official athletic activities, but does not lose his or her eligibility to participate in following years.
  4. 4
    An unimportant character introduced only to be killed in order to underscore the peril to the important characters; an expendable character.
  5. 5
    A person responsible for loading and unloading weapons, artillery, and equipment from aircraft.
  6. 6
    Alternative form of Red Shirt (“member of the UDD”).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Loyal regiments from Naples and other provinces of the mainland fought valiantly and were victorious un several skirmishes against the redshirts near Capua.
  2. Sensing danger, Captain Kirk decided to beam down to the surface with Spock, McCoy, and a couple of redshirts.

Etymology

Calque of Italian camicia rossa, equivalent to red + shirt. In later senses with reference to the uniforms or outfits worn by such people. The fandom slang sense emerged from the tendency of red-uniformed Starfleet officers to die in episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erdshirt
  • rdeshirt
  • reddshirt
  • redhsirt
  • redshhirt
  • redshirrt
  • redshirtt
  • redshitr
  • redshrit
  • redsihrt
  • redsshirt
  • resdhirt
  • rredshirt

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of redshirt - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

erdshirt2rdeshirt2reddshirt1redhsirt2redshhirt1redshirrt1redshirtt1redshitr2
Edit distance from "redshirt"

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 "redshirt"?
"redshirt" is spelled R-E-D-S-H-I-R-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛd.ʃəː(ɹ)t/.
What does "redshirt" mean?
As a noun, "redshirt" means: A supporter of the Italian nationalist leader Giuseppe Garibaldi, especially a member of his thousand-man army which conquered Sicily.
What are common misspellings of "redshirt"?
Common misspellings include "erdshirt", "rdeshirt", "reddshirt", "redhsirt", "redshhirt". The correct spelling is "redshirt".
How do you pronounce "redshirt"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "redshirt" is /ˈɹɛd.ʃəː(ɹ)t/. 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 "redshirt"?
Calque of Italian camicia rossa, equivalent to red + shirt. In later senses with reference to the uniforms or outfits worn by such people. The fandom slang sense emerged from the tendency of red-uniformed Starfleet officers to die in episodes of S... 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 "redshirt", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

regrowth#45,040Ragnarok#45,028Ricketts#45,054prodding#45,014

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

rucksack13 variantssacrilege13 variantsponderosa13 variantspatrician13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list