remiss
/ɹəˈmɪs/
"remiss" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“remiss” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #46,142 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #46,142
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 7
- tracked misspellings
- 15
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - At fault; failing to fulfill responsibility, duty, or obligations.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | remiss |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ɹəˈmɪs/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #46,142 |
| Misspellings tracked | 7 |
| Confusable pairs | 15 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “remiss” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for remiss is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹəˈmɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #46,142 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for remiss, with forms such as "ermiss", "reimss", and "remis". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "remix", "remit", "Remus", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English remisse, remysse, from Latin remissus (“languid, negligent”), perfect passive participle of remittō (“remit”). The correct English form is remiss, spelled R-E-M-I-S-S.
Definition
- 1At fault; failing to fulfill responsibility, duty, or obligations.
- 2Not energetic or exact in duty or business; careless; tardy; slack; hence, lacking earnestness or activity; languid; slow.
Etymology
From Middle English remisse, remysse, from Latin remissus (“languid, negligent”), perfect passive participle of remittō (“remit”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ermiss,reimss,remis,remmiss,remsis,rmeiss,rremiss
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of remiss - 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.
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 "remiss"?
What does "remiss" mean?
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Using “remiss”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is R-E-M-I-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɹəˈmɪs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “remix” - see the side-by-side comparison. remiss vs remix
- 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.