reprogram

verb

"reprogram" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“reprogram” is uncommon English (frequency #53,813 among 3,094 “R” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,813
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To program anew or differently.

Corpus desk

Index EN-reprogram · reprogram · English

reprogram · rank #53,813 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,813
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH reportable

Nearest frequency peer: reportable (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “reprogram”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “reprogram” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for reprogram
PropertyValue
Headwordreprogram
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters9
Frequency rank#53,813
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “reprogram” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).reprogramfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “reportable” (#53,812), “rescheduling” (#53,814), “repentant” (#53,811). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reprogram” is #53,813. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

reprogram is uncommon English at frequency #53,813 among 3,094 “R” headwords, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for reprogram in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From re- + program. The correct English form is reprogram, spelled R-E-P-R-O-G-R-A-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    To program anew or differently.
  2. 2
    To make a fundamental change to the behaviour or habits of.
  3. 3
    To shift funds appropriated for one government program to a different government program.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Installing a new hard drive would require a modchip that can reprogram or bypass the hard drive lock.
  2. Technically, DOE did not need authority to reprogram the funds as long as the spending didn't span different appropriation line items.

Etymology

From re- + program.

This word in other languages

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 "reprogram"?
"reprogram" is spelled R-E-P-R-O-G-R-A-M.
What does "reprogram" mean?
As a verb, "reprogram" means: To program anew or differently.
What is the origin of the word "reprogram"?
From re- + program. 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 "reprogram", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list