refute
re·fute/ɹɪˈfjut/verb
refute is spelled R-E-F-U-T-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (re·fute). It appears 1.4 times per million words in written English, the 24,170th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, refute means “To prove (something) to be false or incorrect” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in refute?
| Letters | 6: R-E-F-U-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: re·fute |
| In writing | 1.4 times per million words; the 24,170th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is refute?
Refute appears 1.4 times per million words in written English, the 24,170th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce refute?
- UK /ɹɪˈfjuːt/
- UK /ɹəˈfjuːt/
- US /ɹɪˈfjut/
Refute has 2 syllables, split re·fute in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-refute.ogg, En-au-refute.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with refute?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as refute from its last stressed vowel (/ut/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of refute
- refutes present, singular, he/she/it
- refuting participle, present
- refuted participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does refute mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To prove (something) to be false or incorrect.
- 2
proscribedTo deny the truth or correctness of (something); to reject or disagree with an accusation.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Refute in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | réfuter , rejeter, contester, chicaner, récuser |
| German | widerlegen, entkräften , anfechten, widersprechen |
| Portuguese | refutar, desmentir , negar |
| Spanish | refutar, rebatir, negar la mayor, ripostar, impugnar, salir al paso de |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does refute come from?
From Latin refūtō (“refute, repudiate”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).