respect

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

/ɹɪˈspɛkt/

//ɹɪˈspɛkt// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“respect” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #999 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#999
frequency rank, English: 7
letters: 11
tracked misspellings: 8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An attitude of consideration or high regard.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

respect vs respects

88% similar

respect vs respected

78% similar

respect vs reset

71% similar

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

Key facts for respect
Property	Value
Headword	respect
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ɹɪˈspɛkt/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#999
Misspellings tracked	11
Confusable pairs	8
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “respect” 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). respect lands here:

#999

#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 respect is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪˈspɛkt/. Corpus data places it at rank #999 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 5 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 respect, with forms such as "erspect", "repsect", and "resepct". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "respects", "respected", "reset", 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 respect, from Old French respect, also respit (“respect, regard, consideration”), from Latin respectus (“a looking at, regard, respect”), perfect passive participle of respiciō (“look at, look back upon, respect”), from re- (“back”) + sp… The correct English form is respect, spelled R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Definition

1
An attitude of consideration or high regard.
2
Good opinion, honor, or admiration.
3
Polite greetings, often offered as condolences after a death.
4
A particular aspect, feature or detail of something.
5
Good will; favor.

Etymology

From Middle English respect, from Old French respect, also respit (“respect, regard, consideration”), from Latin respectus (“a looking at, regard, respect”), perfect passive participle of respiciō (“look at, look back upon, respect”), from re- (“back”) + speciō (“to see”). Doublet of respite.

Antonyms

belittlement contempt contumely despect disdain disparagement disrespect ignoring irreverence neglect scorn slight

This word in other languages

respeto(Español)respect(Français)Achtung(Deutsch)respeito(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: erspect,repsect,resepct,respcet,respecct,respectt,respetc,resppect,resspect,rrespect,rsepect

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "respect"

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 "respect"?

"respect" is spelled R-E-S-P-E-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈspɛkt/.

What does "respect" mean?

As a noun, "respect" means: An attitude of consideration or high regard.

What words are commonly confused with "respect"?

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

How do you pronounce "respect"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "respect" is /ɹɪˈspɛkt/. 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 "respect"?

From Middle English respect, from Old French respect, also respit (“respect, regard, consideration”), from Latin respectus (“a looking at, regard, respect”), perfect passive participle of respiciō (“look at, look back upon, respect”), from re- (“b... 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 “respect”

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

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