regrettable

adj

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

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

The verdict

“regrettable” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,564. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,564
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Able to be regretted, especially deserving of regret.

Corpus desk

Index EN-regrettable · regrettable · English

regrettable · rank #30,564 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #30,564
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH regressive

Nearest frequency peer: regressive (-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 “regrettable”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “regrettable” 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).

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)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “regrettable”

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).regrettablelands 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 “regressive” (#30,563), “reprise” (#30,566), “rectum” (#30,561). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “regrettable” is #30,564. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around regrettable, anadjective. Corpus frequency is #30,564 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Dominant gloss: "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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The officers' actions were regrettable, yes, but there's nothing to be done now but to relocate everyone to the mainland in a calm and orderly manner.
  2. Jeeves: Foreign travel often liberates emotions best kept in check, sir. The air of North America is notoriously stimulating in this regard, as witness the regrettable behavior of its inhabitants in 1776. B. Wooster: Hm? What happened in 1776, Jeeves? Jeeves: I prefer not to dwell on it, if it's convenient to you, sir.

Etymology

From regret + -able.

This word in other languages

lamentable(Español)regrettable(Français)bedauerlich(Deutsch)lamentável(Português)

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "regrettable", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

restorative#30,567prospecting#30,550oscillation#30,523substandard#30,606

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

plasticity16 variantsthundering16 variantshummingbird16 variantshospitable16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list