refrain

/ɹɪˈfɹeɪn/

//ɹɪˈfɹeɪn// verb

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

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

The verdict

“refrain” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,486 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#12,486
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To hold back, to restrain (someone or something).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

refrain vs remain
71% similar
refrain vs retain
71% similar
refrain vs regain
71% similar

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

Key facts for refrain
PropertyValue
Headwordrefrain
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈfɹeɪn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#12,486
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “refrain” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for refrain is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪˈfɹeɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,486 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for refrain, with forms such as "erfrain", "refarin", and "reffrain". 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, "remain", "retain", "regain", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English refreynen, from Anglo-Norman refrener, Old French refrener (from Latin refrenare), and influenced by Old French refraindre (from Latin refringere). The correct English form is refrain, spelled R-E-F-R-A-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To hold back, to restrain (someone or something).
  2. 2
    To show restraint; to hold oneself back.
  3. 3
    To repress (a desire, emotion etc.); to check or curb.
  4. 4
    To stop oneself from some action or interference; to abstain; to eschew
  5. 5
    To abstain from (food or drink).

Etymology

From Middle English refreynen, from Anglo-Norman refrener, Old French refrener (from Latin refrenare), and influenced by Old French refraindre (from Latin refringere).

This word in other languages

abstenerse(Español)s'abstenir(Français)verzichten(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: erfrain,refarin,reffrain,refrainn,refrani,refrian,refrrain,rerfain,rferain,rrefrain

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erfrain2refarin2reffrain1refrainn1refrani2refrian2refrrain1rerfain2
Edit distance from "refrain"

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 "refrain"?
"refrain" is spelled R-E-F-R-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈfɹeɪn/.
What does "refrain" mean?
As a verb, "refrain" means: To hold back, to restrain (someone or something).
What words are commonly confused with "refrain"?
"refrain" is commonly confused with "remain", "retain", "regain". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "refrain"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "refrain" is /ɹɪˈfɹeɪn/. 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 "refrain"?
From Middle English refreynen, from Anglo-Norman refrener, Old French refrener (from Latin refrenare), and influenced by Old French refraindre (from Latin refringere). 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.

Using “refrain”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is R-E-F-R-A-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɹɪˈfɹeɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “remain” - see the side-by-side comparison. refrain vs remain
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list