repeater

/ɹɪˈpiːtə(ɹ)/

//ɹɪˈpiːtə(ɹ)// noun

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

"repeater" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“repeater” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #33,392 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#33,392
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who or that which repeats.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

repeater vs reporter
75% similar
repeater vs repeat
75% similar
repeater vs repeated
88% similar

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

Key facts for repeater
PropertyValue
Headwordrepeater
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹɪˈpiːtə(ɹ)/
Letters8
Frequency rank#33,392
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “repeater” 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). repeater 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 repeater is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪˈpiːtə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #33,392 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 14 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for repeater, with forms such as "erpeater", "reepater", and "repaeter". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "reporter", "repeat", "repeated", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From repeat + -er. The correct English form is repeater, spelled R-E-P-E-A-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who or that which repeats.
  2. 2
    A student repeating a course, class, or grade.
  3. 3
    A patient who repeatedly presents with the same symptoms.
  4. 4
    A consumer who repeatedly purchases the same goods or services.
  5. 5
    One who votes more than once at an election.
  6. 6
    A person who regularly sees unexplained sightings of paranormal phenomena.
  7. 7
    A gun that has a store of cartridges and does not need reloading after each shot.
  8. 8
    A telegraphic instrument for automatically retransmitting a message.
  9. 9
    An electronic device that receives a weak or low-level signal and retransmits it at a higher level or higher power.
  10. 10
    A watch with a striking apparatus which, upon pressure of a spring, will indicate the time, usually in hours and quarters.
  11. 11
    A frigate appointed to attend an admiral in a fleet, and to repeat the admiral's signals.
  12. 12
    A pennant used to indicate that a certain flag in a hoist of signal is duplicated.
  13. 13
    A repeating decimal.
  14. 14
    In calico printing, a design repeated at equal intervals in a pattern.

Etymology

From repeat + -er.

Synonyms

translator

This word in other languages

repetidor(Español)répéteur(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: erpeater,reepater,repaeter,repeaetr,repeaterr,repeatre,repeatter,repetaer,reppeater,rpeeater,rrepeater

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erpeater2reepater2repaeter2repeaetr2repeaterr1repeatre2repeatter1repetaer2
Edit distance from "repeater"

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 "repeater"?
"repeater" is spelled R-E-P-E-A-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈpiːtə(ɹ)/.
What does "repeater" mean?
As a noun, "repeater" means: One who or that which repeats.
What words are commonly confused with "repeater"?
"repeater" is commonly confused with "reporter", "repeat", "repeated". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "repeater"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "repeater" is /ɹɪˈpiːtə(ɹ)/. 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 "repeater"?
From repeat + -er. 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 “repeater”

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

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