# reef

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɹiːf/ · frequency rank #9,240

## Definitions
1. A chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying at or near the surface of the water.
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.

## Easily confused with
- **RF** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-rf)
- **rep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-rep)
- **rev** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-rev)
- **ref** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-ref)
- **rex** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-rex)
- **res** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-res)
- **Rey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-rey)
- **reg** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-reg)
- **rue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-rue)
- **rye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-rye)
- **ren** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-ren)
- **roe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-roe)
- **REM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-rem)
- **ret** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-ret)
- **rei** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-rei)
- **rel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-rel)
- **reo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-reo)
- **rez** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-rez)
- **rest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-rest)
- **rent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reef-vs-rent)

## Common misspellings (4)
`eref`, `reeff`, `refe`, `rreef`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/reef