remove

/ɹɪˈmuːv/

//ɹɪˈmuːv// verb

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

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

The verdict

“remove” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,013. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,013
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To delete.

Corpus desk

Index EN-remove · remove · English

remove · rank #2,013 · 8 variants · 18 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,013
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 18 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rain

Nearest frequency peer: rain (-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 “remove”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “remove” 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).

remove vs rove
67% similar
remove vs revive
67% similar
remove vs revoke
67% similar

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

Key facts for remove
PropertyValue
Headwordremove
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈmuːv/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,013
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “remove”

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).removelands 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 “rain” (#2,012), “signs” (#2,014), “purchase” (#2,011). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “remove” is #2,013. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around remove (IPA /ɹɪˈmuːv/), averb. Corpus frequency is #2,013 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for remove, with forms such as "ermove", "remmove", and "remoev". 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 18 confusable-pair relationships, "rove", "revive", "revoke", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English removen, from Anglo-Norman remover, removeir, from Old French remouvoir, from Latin removēre, from re- + movēre (“to move”), equivalent to re- + move. Displaced native Old English āfierran. The correct English form is remove, spelled R-E-M-O-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To delete.
  2. 2
    To move from one place to another, especially to take away.
  3. 3
    To move from one place to another, especially to take away.
  4. 4
    To murder.
  5. 5
    To dismiss a batsman.
  6. 6
    To discard, set aside, especially something abstract (a thought, feeling, etc.).
  7. 7
    To depart, to leave; to move oneself or be moved.
  8. 8
    To change one's residence or place of business; to move.
  9. 9
    To dismiss or discharge from office.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He removed the marbles from the bag.
  2. Thou ſhalt not remoue thy neghbours marke which they of olde tyme haue ſett in thyne enheritaunce that thou enheretteſt in the londe which the Lorde thy God geueth the to enioye it.

Etymology

From Middle English removen, from Anglo-Norman remover, removeir, from Old French remouvoir, from Latin removēre, from re- + movēre (“to move”), equivalent to re- + move. Displaced native Old English āfierran.

Synonyms

unstayabatebatedeductknock offremovesubductsubtracttaketake awaytake off

Antonyms

settleplaceadd

This word in other languages

quitar(Español)enlever(Français)entfernen(Deutsch)remover(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ermove
  • remmove
  • remoev
  • removve
  • remvoe
  • reomve
  • rmeove
  • rremove

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of remove - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ermove2remmove1remoev2removve1remvoe2reomve2rmeove2rremove1
Edit distance from "remove"

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 "remove"?
"remove" is spelled R-E-M-O-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈmuːv/.
What does "remove" mean?
As a verb, "remove" means: To delete.
What words are commonly confused with "remove"?
"remove" is commonly confused with "rove", "revive", "revoke". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "remove"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "remove" is /ɹɪˈmuːv/. 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 "remove"?
From Middle English removen, from Anglo-Norman remover, removeir, from Old French remouvoir, from Latin removēre, from re- + movēre (“to move”), equivalent to re- + move. Displaced native Old English āfierran. 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 "remove", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

plants#2,007museum#2,004afraid#2,027hasn't#1,999

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

crowd8 variantsensure8 variantsforest8 variantslabour8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list