replace

/ɹɪˈpleɪs/

//ɹɪˈpleɪs// verb

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

"replace" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“replace” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,593. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,593
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To restore to a former place, position, condition, etc.; to put back.

Corpus desk

Index EN-replace · replace · English

replace · rank #2,593 · 10 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,593
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rent

Nearest frequency peer: rent (-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 “replace”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “replace” 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).

replace vs replay
71% similar
replace vs replica
71% similar
replace vs replete
71% similar

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

Key facts for replace
PropertyValue
Headwordreplace
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈpleɪs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,593
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “replace”

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).replacelands 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 “rent” (#2,592), “represent” (#2,594), “recovery” (#2,591). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “replace” is #2,593. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around replace (IPA /ɹɪˈpleɪs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #2,593 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for replace, with forms such as "erplace", "relpace", and "repalce". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "replay", "replica", "replete", 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 re- + place. The correct English form is replace, spelled R-E-P-L-A-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To restore to a former place, position, condition, etc.; to put back.
  2. 2
    To refund; to repay; to pay back.
  3. 3
    To supply or substitute an equivalent with.
  4. 4
    To take over the position or role from.
  5. 5
    To take the place of; to be used instead of.
  6. 6
    To demolish (a building) and build an updated form of that building in its place.
  7. 7
    To place again.
  8. 8
    To put in a new or different place.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. When you've finished using the telephone, please replace the handset.
  2. The earl...was replaced in his government.

Etymology

From re- + place.

Synonyms

exchangeswap

This word in other languages

reemplazar(Español)remplacer(Français)zurückstellen(Deutsch)substituir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erplace
  • relpace
  • repalce
  • replacce
  • replaec
  • replcae
  • repllace
  • repplace
  • rpelace
  • rreplace

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erplace2relpace2repalce2replacce1replaec2replcae2repllace1repplace1
Edit distance from "replace"

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 "replace"?
"replace" is spelled R-E-P-L-A-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈpleɪs/.
What does "replace" mean?
As a verb, "replace" means: To restore to a former place, position, condition, etc.; to put back.
What words are commonly confused with "replace"?
"replace" is commonly confused with "replay", "replica", "replete". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "replace"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "replace" is /ɹɪˈpleɪs/. 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 "replace"?
From re- + place. 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 "replace", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

seeking#2,597senator#2,598Jackson#2,585trained#2,602

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

academy10 variantsdecades10 variantsbranch10 variantssinging10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list