reef

/ɹiːf/

//ɹiːf// noun

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

"reef" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“reef” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,240 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,240
frequency rank, English
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying at or near the surface of the water.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

reef vs RF
0% similar
reef vs rep
50% similar
reef vs rev
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for reef
PropertyValue
Headwordreef
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹiːf/
Letters4
Frequency rank#9,240
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “reef” 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). reef lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for reef is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹiːf/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,240 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for reef, with forms such as "eref", "reeff", and "refe". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "RF", "rep", "rev", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From earlier riff, from Middle English rif, from Old Norse rif (“rib, reef”), from Proto-Germanic *ribją (“rib, reef”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rebʰ- (“arch, ceiling, cover”). Dutch rif (“reef”), Low German riff, reff (“reef”), German Riff (“reef, ledge… The correct English form is reef, spelled R-E-E-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    A chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying at or near the surface of the water.
  2. 2
    A large vein of auriferous quartz; hence, any body of rock yielding valuable ore.

Etymology

From earlier riff, from Middle English rif, from Old Norse rif (“rib, reef”), from Proto-Germanic *ribją (“rib, reef”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rebʰ- (“arch, ceiling, cover”). Dutch rif (“reef”), Low German riff, reff (“reef”), German Riff (“reef, ledge”) are also borrowed from Old Norse. Doublet of rib.

This word in other languages

arrecife(Español)écueil(Français)Riff(Deutsch)recife(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eref,reeff,refe,rreef

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of reef - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

eref2reeff1refe2rreef1
Edit distance from "reef"

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 "reef"?
"reef" is spelled R-E-E-F. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹiːf/.
What does "reef" mean?
As a noun, "reef" means: A chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying at or near the surface of the water.
What words are commonly confused with "reef"?
"reef" is commonly confused with "RF", "rep", "rev". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reef"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reef" is /ɹiːf/. 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 "reef"?
From earlier riff, from Middle English rif, from Old Norse rif (“rib, reef”), from Proto-Germanic *ribją (“rib, reef”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rebʰ- (“arch, ceiling, cover”). Dutch rif (“reef”), Low German riff, reff (“reef”), German Riff (“r... 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 “reef”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-E-E-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɹiːf/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “RF” - see the side-by-side comparison. reef vs RF
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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