remain

Name: remain, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ɹɪˈmeɪn/

//ɹɪˈmeɪn// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“remain” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,574 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,574
frequency rank, English: 6
letters: 8
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - That which is left; relic; remainder.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

remain vs Remi

50% similar

remain vs roman

67% similar

remain vs remix

67% similar

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

Key facts for remain
Property	Value
Headword	remain
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ɹɪˈmeɪn/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#1,574
Misspellings tracked	8
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “remain” 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). remain lands here:

#1,574

#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 remain is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪˈmeɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,574 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for remain, with forms such as "ermain", "reamin", and "remainn". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Remi", "roman", "remix", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English remainen, from Old French remain-, stressed stem of remanoir, from Latin remaneō, maneō, from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to stay”). Displaced native Middle English beliven, bliven (“to remain”) (from Old English belīfan (“to remain, sta… The correct English form is remain, spelled R-E-M-A-I-N.

Definition

1
That which is left; relic; remainder.
2
That which is left of a human being after the life is gone; relics; a dead body.
3
Posthumous works or productions, especially literary works.
4
State of remaining; stay.

Etymology

From Middle English remainen, from Old French remain-, stressed stem of remanoir, from Latin remaneō, maneō, from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to stay”). Displaced native Middle English beliven, bliven (“to remain”) (from Old English belīfan (“to remain, stay”)) due to confluence with related Middle English beleven (“to leave behind”), with which it merged. More at beleave and belive.

This word in other languages

resto(Español)reste(Français)resto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ermain,reamin,remainn,remani,remian,remmain,rmeain,rremain

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "remain"

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 "remain"?

"remain" is spelled R-E-M-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈmeɪn/.

What does "remain" mean?

As a noun, "remain" means: That which is left; relic; remainder.

What words are commonly confused with "remain"?

"remain" is commonly confused with "Remi", "roman", "remix". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "remain"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "remain" is /ɹɪˈmeɪn/. 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 "remain"?

From Middle English remainen, from Old French remain-, stressed stem of remanoir, from Latin remaneō, maneō, from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to stay”). Displaced native Middle English beliven, bliven (“to remain”) (from Old English belīfan (“to r... 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 “remain”

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

The one correct English spelling is R-E-M-A-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ɹɪˈmeɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “Remi” - see the side-by-side comparison. remain vs Remi
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.