repeal

/ɹəˈpiːl/

//ɹəˈpiːl// verb

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

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

The verdict

“repeal” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,718. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,718
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-repeal · repeal · English

repeal · rank #8,718 · 8 variants · 19 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,718
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 19 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH renaissance

Nearest frequency peer: renaissance (-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 “repeal”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “repeal” 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).

repeal vs repel
83% similar
repeal vs revel
67% similar
repeal vs repeat
83% similar

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

Key facts for repeal
PropertyValue
Headwordrepeal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹəˈpiːl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#8,718
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “repeal”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).repeallands 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 “renaissance” (#8,717), “Reuters” (#8,719), “regulate” (#8,716). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “repeal” is #8,718. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around repeal (IPA /ɹəˈpiːl/), averb. Corpus frequency is #8,718 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for repeal, with forms such as "erpeal", "reepal", and "repael". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 19 confusable-pair relationships, "repel", "revel", "repeat", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman repeler, from Old French rapeler (“to call back, call in, call after, revoke”), from Latin repellō (“drive or thrust back”), from re- and pellō (“push or strike”). Doublet of repel. The correct English form is repeal, spelled R-E-P-E-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cancel, invalidate, annul.
  2. 2
    To recall; to summon (a person) again; to bring (a person) back from exile or banishment.
  3. 3
    To suppress; to repel.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. to repeal a law
  2. […] I here divorce myself Both from thy table, Henry, and thy bed, Until that act of parliament be repeal’d Whereby my son is disinherited.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman repeler, from Old French rapeler (“to call back, call in, call after, revoke”), from Latin repellō (“drive or thrust back”), from re- and pellō (“push or strike”). Doublet of repel.

Synonyms

annulcancelinvalidaterevokeveto

This word in other languages

derogar(Español)abroger(Français)annullieren(Deutsch)revogar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erpeal
  • reepal
  • repael
  • repeall
  • repela
  • reppeal
  • rpeeal
  • rrepeal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erpeal2reepal2repael2repeall1repela2reppeal1rpeeal2rrepeal1
Edit distance from "repeal"

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 "repeal"?
"repeal" is spelled R-E-P-E-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹəˈpiːl/.
What does "repeal" mean?
As a verb, "repeal" means: To cancel, invalidate, annul.
What words are commonly confused with "repeal"?
"repeal" is commonly confused with "repel", "revel", "repeat". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "repeal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "repeal" is /ɹəˈpiːl/. 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 "repeal"?
From Anglo-Norman repeler, from Old French rapeler (“to call back, call in, call after, revoke”), from Latin repellō (“drive or thrust back”), from re- and pellō (“push or strike”). Doublet of repel. 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 "repeal", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

sodium#8,729marker#8,686learnt#8,684hiking#8,677

Similar misspelling depth

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

marsh8 variantsbreeze8 variantscoupon8 variantsfulfill8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list