relapse

/ɹɪˈlæps/

//ɹɪˈlæps// verb

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

"relapse" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“relapse” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,187. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,187
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To fall back again; to slide or turn back into a former state or practice.

Corpus desk

Index EN-relapse · relapse · English

relapse · rank #19,187 · 10 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #19,187
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH reindeer

Nearest frequency peer: reindeer (-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 “relapse”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “relapse” 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).

relapse vs relate
71% similar
relapse vs release
71% similar

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

Key facts for relapse
PropertyValue
Headwordrelapse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈlæps/
Letters7
Frequency rank#19,187
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “relapse”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).relapselands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “reindeer” (#19,186), “relish” (#19,188), “reelection” (#19,185). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “relapse” is #19,187. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around relapse (IPA /ɹɪˈlæps/), averb. Corpus frequency is #19,187 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for relapse, with forms such as "erlapse", "realpse", and "relapes". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "relate", "release", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin relapsus, past participle of relabi (“to slide back, fall back”), from re- (“back”) + labi (“to slip, slide, fall”). The correct English form is relapse, spelled R-E-L-A-P-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To fall back again; to slide or turn back into a former state or practice.
  2. 2
    To recur; to worsen, be aggravated (after a period of improvement).
  3. 3
    To return to a vice, especially self-harm or alcoholism, failing to maintain abstinence.
  4. 4
    To slip or slide back physically; to turn back.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He has improved recently but keeps relapsing into states of utter confusion.
  2. to relapse into a stupor, into vice, or into barbarism

Etymology

From Latin relapsus, past participle of relabi (“to slide back, fall back”), from re- (“back”) + labi (“to slip, slide, fall”).

This word in other languages

reincidir(Español)rechuter(Français)zurückfallen(Deutsch)recair(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erlapse
  • realpse
  • relapes
  • relappse
  • relapsse
  • relaspe
  • rellapse
  • relpase
  • rleapse
  • rrelapse

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of relapse - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

erlapse2realpse2relapes2relappse1relapsse1relaspe2rellapse1relpase2
Edit distance from "relapse"

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 "relapse"?
"relapse" is spelled R-E-L-A-P-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈlæps/.
What does "relapse" mean?
As a verb, "relapse" means: To fall back again; to slide or turn back into a former state or practice.
What words are commonly confused with "relapse"?
"relapse" is commonly confused with "relate", "release". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "relapse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "relapse" is /ɹɪˈlæps/. 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 "relapse"?
From Latin relapsus, past participle of relabi (“to slide back, fall back”), from re- (“back”) + labi (“to slip, slide, fall”). 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 "relapse", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Rudolph#19,195Saharan#19,197scumbag#19,198seizing#19,200

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

Psalms10 variantsprettier10 variantspolluted10 variantspharaoh10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list