reflect

/ɹɪˈflɛkt/

//ɹɪˈflɛkt// verb

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

"reflect" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“reflect” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,717. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,717
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface.

Corpus desk

Index EN-reflect · reflect · English

reflect · rank #3,717 · 11 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,717
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH reduction

Nearest frequency peer: reduction (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “reflect”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “reflect” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

reflect vs reject
71% similar
reflect vs reflex
71% similar
reflect vs respect
71% similar

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

Key facts for reflect
PropertyValue
Headwordreflect
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈflɛkt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#3,717
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “reflect”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “reduction” (#3,716), “refuse” (#3,718), “potentially” (#3,715). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reflect” is #3,717. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around reflect (IPA /ɹɪˈflɛkt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #3,717 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for reflect, with forms such as "erflect", "refelct", and "refflect". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "reject", "reflex", "respect", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French reflecter (“to bend back, turn back”), from Latin reflectō (“to reflect”), from re- (“again”) + flectō (“to bend, to curve”). Compare English reflex. The correct English form is reflect, spelled R-E-F-L-E-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface.
  2. 2
    To be bent back (light, etc.) from a surface.
  3. 3
    To mirror, or show the image of something.
  4. 4
    To be mirrored.
  5. 5
    To agree with; to closely follow.
  6. 6
    To give evidence of someone's or something's character etc.
  7. 7
    To think seriously; to ponder or consider.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how reflect appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. A mirror reflects the light that shines on it.
  2. The moonlight reflected from the surface of water.

Etymology

From Old French reflecter (“to bend back, turn back”), from Latin reflectō (“to reflect”), from re- (“again”) + flectō (“to bend, to curve”). Compare English reflex.

This word in other languages

reflejar(Español)refléter(Français)reflektieren(Deutsch)refletir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erflect
  • refelct
  • refflect
  • reflcet
  • reflecct
  • reflectt
  • refletc
  • refllect
  • relfect
  • rfelect
  • rreflect

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of reflect - 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.

erflect2refelct2refflect1reflcet2reflecct1reflectt1refletc2refllect1
Edit distance from "reflect"

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 "reflect"?
"reflect" is spelled R-E-F-L-E-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈflɛkt/.
What does "reflect" mean?
As a verb, "reflect" means: To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface.
What words are commonly confused with "reflect"?
"reflect" is commonly confused with "reject", "reflex", "respect". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reflect"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reflect" is /ɹɪˈflɛkt/. 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 "reflect"?
From Old French reflecter (“to bend back, turn back”), from Latin reflectō (“to reflect”), from re- (“again”) + flectō (“to bend, to curve”). Compare English reflex. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "reflect", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

posting#3,714physics#3,713Seattle#3,724visible#3,732

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

resource11 variantsnarrative11 variantslifetime11 variantslawyers11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list