repent

/ɹɪˈpɛnt/

//ɹɪˈpɛnt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“repent” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,416 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#18,416
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To feel pain, sorrow, or regret for what one has done or omitted to do; the cause for repenting may be indicated with "of".

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

repent vs reset
67% similar
repent vs ripen
67% similar
repent vs report
67% similar

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

Key facts for repent
PropertyValue
Headwordrepent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈpɛnt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#18,416
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “repent” 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). repent 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 repent is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪˈpɛnt/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,416 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for repent, with forms such as "erpent", "reepnt", and "repennt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "reset", "ripen", "report", 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 repenten, from Old French repentir, from Vulgar Latin *repaenitīre, from Late Latin paenitīre, from Classical Latin paenitēre. Compare Modern French repentir. The correct English form is repent, spelled R-E-P-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To feel pain, sorrow, or regret for what one has done or omitted to do; the cause for repenting may be indicated with "of".
  2. 2
    To be sorry for sin as morally evil, and to seek forgiveness; to cease to practice sin and to love.
  3. 3
    To feel pain on account of; to remember with sorrow.
  4. 4
    To be sorry for, to regret.
  5. 5
    To cause to have sorrow or regret.
  6. 6
    To cause (oneself) to feel pain or regret.
  7. 7
    To change one's mind.

Etymology

From Middle English repenten, from Old French repentir, from Vulgar Latin *repaenitīre, from Late Latin paenitīre, from Classical Latin paenitēre. Compare Modern French repentir.

Synonyms

afterthinkregretrue

This word in other languages

arrepentirse(Español)se repentir(Français)bereuen(Deutsch)arrepender(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: erpent,reepnt,repennt,repentt,repetn,repnet,reppent,rpeent,rrepent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of repent - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

erpent2reepnt2repennt1repentt1repetn2repnet2reppent1rpeent2
Edit distance from "repent"

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 "repent"?
"repent" is spelled R-E-P-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈpɛnt/.
What does "repent" mean?
As a verb, "repent" means: To feel pain, sorrow, or regret for what one has done or omitted to do; the cause for repenting may be indicated with "of".
What words are commonly confused with "repent"?
"repent" is commonly confused with "reset", "ripen", "report". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "repent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "repent" is /ɹɪˈpɛnt/. 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 "repent"?
From Middle English repenten, from Old French repentir, from Vulgar Latin *repaenitīre, from Late Latin paenitīre, from Classical Latin paenitēre. Compare Modern French repentir. 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 “repent”

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

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