repartee
/ˌɹɛpɑɹˈteɪ/noun, verb
repartee is spelled R-E-P-A-R-T-E-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 70,702nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, repartee means “A swift, witty reply, especially one that is amusing” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of repartee is repartees or repartées.
How many letters and syllables are in repartee?
| Letters | 8: R-E-P-A-R-T-E-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 6 million words; the 70,702nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is repartee?
Repartee appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 70,702nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce repartee?
- US /ˌɹɛpɑɹˈteɪ/
- UK /ˌɹɛpɑːˈtiː/
Repartee has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Sapaa-repartee.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with repartee?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as repartee from its last stressed vowel (/eɪ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: repeater.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of repartee
- repartees plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- repartée
- reparteeing participle, present
- reparteed participle, past
- repartées plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- repartéeing participle, present
- repartéed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does repartee mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A swift, witty reply, especially one that is amusing.
- 2
A conversation marked by a series of witty retorts.
- 3
A skill in replying swiftly and wittily.
verb
- 1
To reply with a repartee.
- 2
To have a repartee (a conversation marked by witty retorts or replies).
noun
- 1
Alternative form of repartee.
verb
- 1
Alternative form of repartee.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Repartee in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | repartie |
| German | schlagfertige Antwort, Konter , Schlagabtausch, Geplänkel , Schlagfertigkeit , schlagfertig antworten |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does repartee come from?
From French repartie, a deverbal of repartir (“to retort”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).