remedy

/ˈɹɛmədi/

//ˈɹɛmədi// noun

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

"remedy" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“remedy” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,392 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,392
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Something that corrects or counteracts.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

remedy vs reed
67% similar
remedy vs ready
67% similar
remedy vs Reddy
50% similar

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

Key facts for remedy
PropertyValue
Headwordremedy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɛmədi/
Letters6
Frequency rank#9,392
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “remedy” 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). remedy 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 remedy is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɹɛmədi/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,392 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 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for remedy, with forms such as "ermedy", "reemdy", and "remdey". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "reed", "ready", "Reddy", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English remedie, from Old French *remedie, remede, from Latin remedium (“a remedy, cure”), from re- (“again”) + mederi (“to heal”). Doublet of remeid. The correct English form is remedy, spelled R-E-M-E-D-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Something that corrects or counteracts.
  2. 2
    The legal means to recover a right or to prevent or obtain redress for a wrong.
  3. 3
    A medicine, application, or treatment that relieves or cures a disease.
  4. 4
    The accepted tolerance or deviation in fineness or weight in the production of gold coins etc.

Etymology

From Middle English remedie, from Old French *remedie, remede, from Latin remedium (“a remedy, cure”), from re- (“again”) + mederi (“to heal”). Doublet of remeid.

Synonyms

remeid

This word in other languages

remedio(Español)remède(Français)Gegenmittel(Deutsch)remédio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ermedy,reemdy,remdey,remeddy,remedyy,remeyd,remmedy,rmeedy,rremedy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ermedy2reemdy2remdey2remeddy1remedyy1remeyd2remmedy1rmeedy2
Edit distance from "remedy"

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 "remedy"?
"remedy" is spelled R-E-M-E-D-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛmədi/.
What does "remedy" mean?
As a noun, "remedy" means: Something that corrects or counteracts.
What words are commonly confused with "remedy"?
"remedy" is commonly confused with "reed", "ready", "Reddy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "remedy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "remedy" is /ˈɹɛmədi/. 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 "remedy"?
From Middle English remedie, from Old French *remedie, remede, from Latin remedium (“a remedy, cure”), from re- (“again”) + mederi (“to heal”). Doublet of remeid. 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 “remedy”

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

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