regrettable

adj

"regrettable" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“regrettable” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #30,564 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#30,564
frequency rank, English
11
letters
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Able to be regretted, especially deserving of regret.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

regrettable vs regrettably
91% similar

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

Key facts for regrettable
PropertyValue
Headwordregrettable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters11
Frequency rank#30,564
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “regrettable” 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). regrettable 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 regrettable is 11 letters long, classified as an adjective. Corpus data places it at rank #30,564 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Able to be regretted, especially deserving of regret.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for regrettable, with forms such as "ergrettable", "regerttable", and "reggrettable". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "regrettably", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From regret + -able. The correct English form is regrettable, spelled R-E-G-R-E-T-T-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Able to be regretted, especially deserving of regret.

Etymology

From regret + -able.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ergrettable,regerttable,reggrettable,regretable,regretatble,regrettabble,regrettabel,regrettablle,regrettalbe,regrettbale,regrettible,regrrettable,regrtetable,rergettable,rgerettable,rregrettable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of regrettable - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ergrettable2regerttable2reggrettable1regretable1regretatble2regrettabble1regrettabel2regrettablle1
Edit distance from "regrettable"

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 "regrettable"?
"regrettable" is spelled R-E-G-R-E-T-T-A-B-L-E.
What does "regrettable" mean?
As an adjective, "regrettable" means: Able to be regretted, especially deserving of regret.
What words are commonly confused with "regrettable"?
"regrettable" is commonly confused with "regrettably". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What is the origin of the word "regrettable"?
From regret + -able. 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 “regrettable”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-E-G-R-E-T-T-A-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “regrettably” - see the side-by-side comparison. regrettable vs regrettably
  • 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