reflex

/ˈɹiːflɛks/

//ˈɹiːflɛks// noun

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

"reflex" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“reflex” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,321. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,321
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An automatic response to a simple stimulus which does not require mental processing.

Corpus desk

Index EN-reflex · reflex · English

reflex · rank #16,321 · 9 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,321
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH redevelopment

Nearest frequency peer: redevelopment (-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 “reflex”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “reflex” 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).

reflex vs relax
67% similar
reflex vs rifle
67% similar
reflex vs Rolex
50% similar

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

Key facts for reflex
PropertyValue
Headwordreflex
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹiːflɛks/
Letters6
Frequency rank#16,321
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “reflex”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).reflexlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “redevelopment” (#16,320), “relocate” (#16,322), “reclaim” (#16,319). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reflex” is #16,321. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around reflex (IPA /ˈɹiːflɛks/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,321 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for reflex, with forms such as "erflex", "refelx", and "refflex". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "relax", "rifle", "Rolex", 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 Late Latin reflexus, past participle of reflectere (“to bend back”), equivalent to re- + flex. Photography sense is from noun sense meaning “reflection”. Compare English reflect. The correct English form is reflex, spelled R-E-F-L-E-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    An automatic response to a simple stimulus which does not require mental processing.
  2. 2
    The descendant of an earlier language element, such as a word or phoneme, in a daughter language.
  3. 3
    The ancestor word corresponding to a descendant.
  4. 4
    The descendant of anything from an earlier time, such as a cultural myth.
  5. 5
    A reflection or an image produced by a reflection; the light reflected from an illuminated surface to one in shade.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. For a while, I shall have to make a conscious effort to smile, nod, stand and perform the thousands of little gestures which constitute life on Earth, and then those gestures will become reflexes again.
  2. He met Luis Suarez's cross at the far post, only for Chelsea keeper Petr Cech to show brilliant reflexes to deflect his header on to the bar. Carroll turned away to lead Liverpool's insistent protests that the ball had crossed the line but referee Phil Dowd and assistant referee Andrew Garratt waved play on, with even a succession of replays proving incon…

Etymology

From Late Latin reflexus, past participle of reflectere (“to bend back”), equivalent to re- + flex. Photography sense is from noun sense meaning “reflection”. Compare English reflect.

This word in other languages

reflejo(Español)réflexe(Français)Reflex(Deutsch)reflexo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erflex
  • refelx
  • refflex
  • reflexx
  • refllex
  • reflxe
  • relfex
  • rfelex
  • rreflex

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erflex2refelx2refflex1reflexx1refllex1reflxe2relfex2rfelex2
Edit distance from "reflex"

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 "reflex"?
"reflex" is spelled R-E-F-L-E-X. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹiːflɛks/.
What does "reflex" mean?
As a noun, "reflex" means: An automatic response to a simple stimulus which does not require mental processing.
What words are commonly confused with "reflex"?
"reflex" is commonly confused with "relax", "rifle", "Rolex". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reflex"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reflex" is /ˈɹiːflɛks/. 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 "reflex"?
From Late Latin reflexus, past participle of reflectere (“to bend back”), equivalent to re- + flex. Photography sense is from noun sense meaning “reflection”. Compare English reflect. 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 "reflex", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

riddle#16,329Rivera#16,331rubble#16,336Saddam#16,339

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

plugged9 variantsparted9 variantsstoked9 variantstanker9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list