rename

/ɹiːˈneɪm/

//ɹiːˈneɪm// verb

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

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

The verdict

“rename” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,082. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,082
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To give a new name to.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rename · rename · English

rename · rank #23,082 · 8 variants · 17 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,082
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 17 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH repulsive

Nearest frequency peer: repulsive (+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 “rename”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “rename” 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).

rename vs Rene
50% similar
rename vs Renée
50% similar
rename vs resale
67% similar

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

Key facts for rename
PropertyValue
Headwordrename
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹiːˈneɪm/
Letters6
Frequency rank#23,082
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “rename”

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).renamelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “repulsive” (#23,083), “refrigeration” (#23,080), “respite” (#23,084). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “rename” is #23,082. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around rename (IPA /ɹiːˈneɪm/), averb. Corpus frequency is #23,082 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To give a new name to.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for rename, with forms such as "ername", "reanme", and "renaem". 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 17 confusable-pair relationships, "Rene", "Renée", "resale", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From re- + name. The correct English form is rename, spelled R-E-N-A-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To give a new name to.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. However, in 1844, saner counsels prevailed, and Edgeley became the principal station—the directors eating their words once more by retaining the older station, which was renamed Heaton Norris.
  2. […] And then, finally, we got to Vietnam. Given the dishonesty surrounding that war, I guess it's not surprising that, at the time, the very same condition was renamed post-traumatic stress disorder.

Etymology

From re- + name.

Synonyms

rebaptizerechristen

This word in other languages

renombrar(Español)renommer(Français)umbenennen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ername
  • reanme
  • renaem
  • renamme
  • renmae
  • renname
  • rneame
  • rrename

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ername2reanme2renaem2renamme1renmae2renname1rneame2rrename1
Edit distance from "rename"

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 "rename"?
"rename" is spelled R-E-N-A-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹiːˈneɪm/.
What does "rename" mean?
As a verb, "rename" means: To give a new name to.
What words are commonly confused with "rename"?
"rename" is commonly confused with "Rene", "Renée", "resale". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rename"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rename" is /ɹiːˈneɪm/. 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 "rename"?
From re- + name. 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 "rename", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Rhinos#23,088Rankin#23,075shaggy#23,096shrunk#23,099

Similar misspelling depth

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

slant8 variantssoothe8 variantsspelt8 variantstacky8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list