reign of terror
"reign-of-terror" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“reign of terror” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 15
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A brutal period of political violence and intimidation in the wake of a popular revolution.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | reign of terror |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 15 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “reign of terror” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for reign of terror is 15 letters long, classified as a noun. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Zero misspellings are on record for reign of terror in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From the Reign of Terror that took place during the French Revolution. The correct English form is reign of terror, spelled R-E-I-G-N- -O-F- -T-E-R-R-O-R.
Definition
- 1A brutal period of political violence and intimidation in the wake of a popular revolution.
- 2A period defined by tyranny and violation of rights without accountability for the party responsible.
Etymology
From the Reign of Terror that took place during the French Revolution.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "reign of terror"?
What does "reign of terror" mean?
What is the origin of the word "reign of terror"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “reign of terror”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is R-E-I-G-N- -O-F- -T-E-R-R-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- 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.