remit

/ɹɪˈmɪt/

//ɹɪˈmɪt// verb

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

"remit" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“remit” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #25,901 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#25,901
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To transmit or send (e.g. money in payment); to supply.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

remit vs ret
60% similar
remit vs rit
60% similar
remit vs rest
60% similar

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

Key facts for remit
PropertyValue
Headwordremit
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈmɪt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#25,901
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “remit” 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). remit 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 remit is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪˈmɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #25,901 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 13 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 remit, with forms such as "ermit", "reimt", and "remitt". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ret", "rit", "rest", 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 remitten, from Latin remittere (“to send, send back”). Compare Old French remettre, remetre, remitter. The correct English form is remit, spelled R-E-M-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To transmit or send (e.g. money in payment); to supply.
  2. 2
    To forgive, pardon (a wrong, offence, etc.).
  3. 3
    To refrain from exacting or enforcing; to cancel.
  4. 4
    To give up; omit; cease doing.
  5. 5
    To allow (something) to slacken, to relax (one's attention etc.).
  6. 6
    To show a lessening or abatement (of a specified quality).
  7. 7
    To diminish, abate.
  8. 8
    To refer (something or someone) for deliberation, judgment, etc. (to a particular body or person).
  9. 9
    To send back.
  10. 10
    To give or deliver up; surrender; resign.
  11. 11
    To restore or replace.
  12. 12
    To postpone.
  13. 13
    To refer (someone to something), direct someone's attention to something.

Etymology

From Middle English remitten, from Latin remittere (“to send, send back”). Compare Old French remettre, remetre, remitter.

This word in other languages

remitir(Español)remettre(Français)remeter(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ermit,reimt,remitt,remmit,remti,rmeit,rremit

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of remit - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ermit2reimt2remitt1remmit1remti2rmeit2rremit1
Edit distance from "remit"

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 "remit"?
"remit" is spelled R-E-M-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈmɪt/.
What does "remit" mean?
As a verb, "remit" means: To transmit or send (e.g. money in payment); to supply.
What words are commonly confused with "remit"?
"remit" is commonly confused with "ret", "rit", "rest". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "remit"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "remit" is /ɹɪˈmɪt/. 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 "remit"?
From Middle English remitten, from Latin remittere (“to send, send back”). Compare Old French remettre, remetre, remitter. 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 “remit”

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

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