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
21,470
“R” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A supporter of the Italian nationalist leader Giuseppe Garibaldi, especially a member of his thousand-man army which conquered Sicily.

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)

Where “redshirt” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). 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 21,470 “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”).

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.

Using “redshirt”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is R-E-D-S-H-I-R-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹɛd.ʃəː(ɹ)t/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list