refuge

/ˈɹɛfjuːd͡ʒ/

//ˈɹɛfjuːd͡ʒ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“refuge” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,193. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,193
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A state of safety, protection or shelter.

Corpus desk

Index EN-refuge · refuge · English

refuge · rank #8,193 · 8 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,193
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH Reds

Nearest frequency peer: Reds (-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 “refuge”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “refuge” 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).

refuge vs rouge
67% similar
refuge vs reuse
67% similar
refuge vs revue
67% similar

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

Key facts for refuge
PropertyValue
Headwordrefuge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɛfjuːd͡ʒ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#8,193
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “refuge”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).refugelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Reds” (#8,192), “religions” (#8,194), “recreational” (#8,191). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “refuge” is #8,193. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around refuge (IPA /ˈɹɛfjuːd͡ʒ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #8,193 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for refuge, with forms such as "erfuge", "reffuge", and "refgue". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "rouge", "reuse", "revue", 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 Middle English refuge, from Old French refuge, from Latin refugium, from re- + fugiō (“flee”). Doublet of refugium. The correct English form is refuge, spelled R-E-F-U-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A state of safety, protection or shelter.
  2. 2
    A place providing safety, protection or shelter.
  3. 3
    Something or someone turned to for safety or assistance; a recourse or resort.
  4. 4
    An expedient to secure protection or defence.
  5. 5
    A refuge island.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Rocks, dens, and caves! But I in none of these / Find place or refuge.
  2. One morning I had been driven to the precarious refuge afforded by the steps of the inn, after rejecting offers from the Celebrity to join him in a variety of amusements. But even here I was not free from interruption, for he was seated on a horse-block below me, playing with a fox terrier.

Etymology

From Middle English refuge, from Old French refuge, from Latin refugium, from re- + fugiō (“flee”). Doublet of refugium.

Synonyms

havensanctuaryzoarasylumbieldrefugeshelter

This word in other languages

refugio(Español)refuge(Français)Zuflucht(Deutsch)refúgio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erfuge
  • reffuge
  • refgue
  • refueg
  • refugge
  • reufge
  • rfeuge
  • rrefuge

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erfuge2reffuge1refgue2refueg2refugge1reufge2rfeuge2rrefuge1
Edit distance from "refuge"

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 "refuge"?
"refuge" is spelled R-E-F-U-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛfjuːd͡ʒ/.
What does "refuge" mean?
As a noun, "refuge" means: A state of safety, protection or shelter.
What words are commonly confused with "refuge"?
"refuge" is commonly confused with "rouge", "reuse", "revue". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "refuge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "refuge" is /ˈɹɛfjuːd͡ʒ/. 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 "refuge"?
From Middle English refuge, from Old French refuge, from Latin refugium, from re- + fugiō (“flee”). Doublet of refugium. 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 "refuge", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Ronald#8,199parked#8,182smiles#8,206Sophie#8,207

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

Ricky8 variantsmitch8 variantsarmies8 variantsassessed8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list