reefer
/ˈɹiːfɚ/
"reefer" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“reefer” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #43,875 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #43,875
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 7
- tracked misspellings
- 12
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Someone who reefs sails, especially a midshipman.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | reefer |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈɹiːfɚ/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #43,875 |
| Misspellings tracked | 7 |
| Confusable pairs | 12 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “reefer” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for reefer is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɹiːfɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #43,875 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for reefer, with forms such as "erefer", "reeefr", and "reeferr". 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 12 confusable-pair relationships, "refer", "Reese", "reeve", 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 reef + -er. The correct English form is reefer, spelled R-E-E-F-E-R.
Definition
- 1Someone who reefs sails, especially a midshipman.
- 2A reefer jacket; a close-fitting jacket or short coat of thick cloth.
Etymology
From reef + -er.
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: erefer,reeefr,reeferr,reeffer,reefre,refeer,rreefer
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of reefer - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 "reefer"?
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Using “reefer”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is R-E-E-F-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɹiːfɚ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “refer” - see the side-by-side comparison. reefer vs refer
- 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.