# reek

> English word · Noun · IPA /riːk/ · frequency rank #39,053

## Definitions
1. A strong unpleasant smell.
2. Vapour; steam; smoke; fume.

## Etymology
From Middle English rek, reke (“smoke”), from Old English rēc, from Proto-West Germanic *rauki, from Proto-Germanic *raukiz, from Proto-Indo-European *rowgi-.
See also West Frisian reek, riik, Dutch rook, Low German Röök, German Rauch, Danish røg, Norwegian Bokmål røyk; also Lithuanian rū̃kti (“to smoke”), rū̃kas (“smoke, fog”), Albanian regj (“to tan”).

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

## Common misspellings (5)
`erek`, `reekk`, `rek`, `reke`, `rreek`

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