regret

/ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/

//ɹɪˈɡɹɛt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“regret” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,838. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,838
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To feel sorry about (a thing that has or has not happened), afterthink: to wish that a thing had not happened, that something else had happened instead.

Corpus desk

Index EN-regret · regret · English

regret · rank #3,838 · 9 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,838
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH ratio

Nearest frequency peer: ratio (-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 “regret”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “regret” 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).

regret vs reset
67% similar
regret vs retreat
71% similar
regret vs regent
67% similar

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

Key facts for regret
PropertyValue
Headwordregret
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,838
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “regret”

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).regretlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “ratio” (#3,837), “rejected” (#3,839), “publishing” (#3,836). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “regret” is #3,838. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around regret (IPA /ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #3,838 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for regret, with forms such as "ergret", "regert", and "reggret". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "reset", "retreat", "regent", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English regretten, regreten, from Old French regreter, regrater (“to lament”), from re- (intensive prefix) + *greter, *grater (“to weep”), from Frankish *grātan (“to weep, mourn, lament”), from Proto-Germanic *grētaną (“to weep”), from Proto-Ind… The correct English form is regret, spelled R-E-G-R-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To feel sorry about (a thing that has or has not happened), afterthink: to wish that a thing had not happened, that something else had happened instead.
  2. 2
    To feel sorry about (any thing).
  3. 3
    To miss; to feel the loss or absence of; to mourn.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He regretted his words.
  2. Judge Short had gone to town, and Farrar was off for a three days' cruise up the lake. I was bitterly regretting I had not gone with him when the distant notes of a coach horn reached my ear, and I descried a four-in-hand winding its way up the inn road from the direction of Mohair.

Etymology

From Middle English regretten, regreten, from Old French regreter, regrater (“to lament”), from re- (intensive prefix) + *greter, *grater (“to weep”), from Frankish *grātan (“to weep, mourn, lament”), from Proto-Germanic *grētaną (“to weep”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁d- (“to sound”); and Frankish *greutan (“to cry, weep”), from Proto-Germanic *greutaną (“to weep, cry”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrewd- (“to weep, be sad”), equivalent to re- + greet. Cognate with Old High German grāzan (“to cry”), Old English grǣtan (“to weep, greet”), Old English grēotan (“to weep, lament”), Old Norse gráta (“to weep, groan”), Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐌴𐍄𐌰𐌽 (grētan, “to weep”). More at greet.

This word in other languages

lamentar(Español)regretter(Français)bedauern(Deutsch)lamentar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ergret
  • regert
  • reggret
  • regrett
  • regrret
  • regrte
  • rerget
  • rgeret
  • rregret

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ergret2regert2reggret1regrett1regrret1regrte2rerget2rgeret2
Edit distance from "regret"

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 "regret"?
"regret" is spelled R-E-G-R-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/.
What does "regret" mean?
As a verb, "regret" means: To feel sorry about (a thing that has or has not happened), afterthink: to wish that a thing had not happened, that something else had happened instead.
What words are commonly confused with "regret"?
"regret" is commonly confused with "reset", "retreat", "regent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "regret"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "regret" is /ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/. 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 "regret"?
From Middle English regretten, regreten, from Old French regreter, regrater (“to lament”), from re- (intensive prefix) + *greter, *grater (“to weep”), from Frankish *grātan (“to weep, mourn, lament”), from Proto-Germanic *grētaną (“to weep”), from... 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 "regret", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

remind#3,840resort#3,841settle#3,847merely#3,828

Similar misspelling depth

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

routine9 variantsMatthew9 variantssummary9 variantslegacy9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list