reminisce

/ˌɹɛm.əˈnɪs/

//ˌɹɛm.əˈnɪs// verb

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

"reminisce" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“reminisce” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,485. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,485
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically.

Corpus desk

Index EN-reminisce · reminisce · English

reminisce · rank #35,485 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #35,485
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH reliving

Nearest frequency peer: reliving (-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 “reminisce”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “reminisce” 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).

reminisce vs reminiscent
82% similar

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

Key facts for reminisce
PropertyValue
Headwordreminisce
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌɹɛm.əˈnɪs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#35,485
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “reminisce”

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).reminiscelands 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 “reliving” (#35,484), “reminiscing” (#35,486), “refuel” (#35,481). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reminisce” is #35,485. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around reminisce (IPA /ˌɹɛm.əˈnɪs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #35,485 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for reminisce, with forms such as "erminisce", "reimnisce", and "remiinsce". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "reminiscent", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from reminiscence, from Latin reminīscēns, present participle of reminīscor (“remember”). The correct English form is reminisce, spelled R-E-M-I-N-I-S-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically.
  2. 2
    To talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories.
  3. 3
    To remember fondly; to reminisce about.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. But in the blink of an eye, you kissed me goodbye And I reminisced of a better time
  2. And now when life begins to get the best of me I reminisce these childhood memories

Etymology

Back-formation from reminiscence, from Latin reminīscēns, present participle of reminīscor (“remember”).

Synonyms

hark back

This word in other languages

añorar(Español)se remémorer(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erminisce
  • reimnisce
  • remiinsce
  • reminicse
  • reminiscce
  • reminisec
  • reminissce
  • reminnisce
  • reminsice
  • remminisce
  • remniisce
  • rmeinisce
  • rreminisce

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erminisce2reimnisce2remiinsce2reminicse2reminiscce1reminisec2reminissce1reminnisce1
Edit distance from "reminisce"

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 "reminisce"?
"reminisce" is spelled R-E-M-I-N-I-S-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɹɛm.əˈnɪs/.
What does "reminisce" mean?
As a verb, "reminisce" means: To recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically.
What words are commonly confused with "reminisce"?
"reminisce" is commonly confused with "reminiscent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reminisce"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reminisce" is /ˌɹɛm.əˈnɪs/. 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 "reminisce"?
Back-formation from reminiscence, from Latin reminīscēns, present participle of reminīscor (“remember”). 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 "reminisce", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

reflexive#35,480shadowing#35,511Pentecost#35,455parentage#35,452

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

scolding13 variantsSedgwick13 variantsskillfully13 variantstaekwondo13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list