reset

Name: reset, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ɹiːˈsɛt/

//ɹiːˈsɛt// verb

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed September 3, 2026

The verdict

“reset” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,246. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,246
frequency rank, English: 3,094
“R” headwords: 7
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To set back to the initial state.

Corpus desk

Index EN-reset · reset · English

reset · rank #9,246 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

FREQ-COMMON #9,246
LEN-MID 5 letters
VOW-2 2 vowels
CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
VAR-MID 7 variants
BOOK-MID 3,094
PHOTO-FINISH remedies

Nearest frequency peer: remedies (-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.

refusal

90,758
reinforced

90,757
remedies

90,756
reset

90,755
sage

90,754
shave

90,753

What this shows “reset” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

reset vs ret

60% similar

reset vs rest

80% similar

reset vs rose

60% similar

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

Key facts for reset
Property	Value
Headword	reset
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/ɹiːˈsɛt/
Letters	5
Frequency rank	#9,246
Misspellings tracked	7
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “reset”

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).resetlands here:

#9,246

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “remedies” (#9,245), “sage” (#9,247), “reinforced” (#9,244). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reset” is #9,246. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around reset (IPA /ɹiːˈsɛt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #9,246 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for reset, with forms such as "erset", "reest", and "resett". 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, "ret", "rest", "rose", 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- + set. The correct English form is reset, spelled R-E-S-E-T.

Definition

1
To set back to the initial state.
2
To set to zero.
3
To adjust; to set or position differently.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand. We spent consider'ble money getting 'em reset, and then a swordfish got into the pound and tore the nets all to slathers, right in the middle of the squiteague season.
The next section explains how to reset the administrator password with the help of this challenge question.

Etymology

From re- + set.

This word in other languages

restablecer(Español)remettre à zéro(Français)zurücksetzen(Deutsch)repor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

erset
reest
resett
resset
reste
rreset
rseet

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "reset"

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 "reset"?

"reset" is spelled R-E-S-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹiːˈsɛt/.

What does "reset" mean?

As a verb, "reset" means: To set back to the initial state.

What words are commonly confused with "reset"?

"reset" is commonly confused with "ret", "rest", "rose". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "reset"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reset" is /ɹiːˈsɛt/. 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 "reset"?

From re- + set. 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 "reset", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

shave#9,248 pumps#9,235 vodka#9,273 Nepal#9,215

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Olivia7 variants inning7 variants clues7 variants decay7 variants