refractory

/ɹɪˈfɹæk.təɹ.i/

//ɹɪˈfɹæk.təɹ.i// adj

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

"refractory" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“refractory” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,817. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,817
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-refractory · refractory · English

refractory · rank #33,817 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #33,817
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH refractive

Nearest frequency peer: refractive (-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 “refractory”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “refractory” 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
Key facts for refractory
PropertyValue
Headwordrefractory
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɹɪˈfɹæk.təɹ.i/
Letters10
Frequency rank#33,817
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “refractory”

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).refractorylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “refractive” (#33,816), “regrettably” (#33,818), “Reiner” (#33,819). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “refractory” is #33,817. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around refractory (IPA /ɹɪˈfɹæk.təɹ.i/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #33,817 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for refractory, with forms such as "erfractory", "refarctory", and "reffractory". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin refractārius (“obstinate”), from refractus, past participle of refringere (“to break up”). Originally refractary, refractarie, but reanalysed after other adjectives in -ory. The correct English form is refractory, spelled R-E-F-R-A-C-T-O-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to something.
  2. 2
    Not affected by great heat.
  3. 3
    Resistant to treatment; not responding adequately to therapy.
  4. 4
    Incapable of registering a reaction or stimulus.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] in most instances attempts to coerce the refractory and disobedient have been the signals of bloody wars, […]
  2. Mr. Weller knocked at the door, and after a pretty long interval—occupied by the party without, in whistling a tune, and by the party within, in persuading a refractory flat candle to allow itself to be lighted […]

Etymology

From Latin refractārius (“obstinate”), from refractus, past participle of refringere (“to break up”). Originally refractary, refractarie, but reanalysed after other adjectives in -ory.

This word in other languages

refractario(Español)réfractaire(Français)widerborstig(Deutsch)refratário(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erfractory
  • refarctory
  • reffractory
  • refracctory
  • refracotry
  • refractorry
  • refractoryy
  • refractoyr
  • refractroy
  • refracttory
  • refratcory
  • refrcatory
  • refrractory
  • rerfactory
  • rferactory
  • rrefractory

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erfractory2refarctory2reffractory1refracctory1refracotry2refractorry1refractoryy1refractoyr2
Edit distance from "refractory"

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 "refractory"?
"refractory" is spelled R-E-F-R-A-C-T-O-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈfɹæk.təɹ.i/.
What does "refractory" mean?
As an adjective, "refractory" means: Obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to something.
What are common misspellings of "refractory"?
Common misspellings include "erfractory", "refarctory", "reffractory", "refracctory", "refracotry". The correct spelling is "refractory".
How do you pronounce "refractory"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "refractory" is /ɹɪˈfɹæk.təɹ.i/. 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 "refractory"?
From Latin refractārius (“obstinate”), from refractus, past participle of refringere (“to break up”). Originally refractary, refractarie, but reanalysed after other adjectives in -ory. 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 "refractory", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

refractive#33,816rebranding#33,812retraction#33,825shopkeeper#33,845

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

regrettably16 variantsparadoxical16 variantsTwickenham16 variantsunattainable16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list