respite
/ˈɹɛs.pɪt/noun, verb
respite is spelled R-E-S-P-I-T-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,965th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, respite means “A brief interval of rest or relief” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of respite is respites.
How many letters and syllables are in respite?
| Letters | 7: R-E-S-P-I-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.5 times per million words; the 22,965th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is respite?
Respite appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,965th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce respite?
- UK /ˈɹɛsˌpaɪt/
- UK /ˈɹɛs.pɪt/
- US /ˈɹɛs.pɪt/
Respite has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-respite.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of respite
- respites plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- respiting participle, present
- respited participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does respite mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A brief interval of rest or relief.
- 2
A reprieve, especially from a sentence of death.
- 3
The delay of appearance at court granted to a jury beyond the proper term.
- 4
A short period of spoken dialogue in an otherwise sung-through musical.
verb
- 1
To delay or postpone (an event).
- 2
To allow (a person) extra time to fulfil some obligation.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Respite in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | répit |
| German | Aufschub, Frist, Atempause, Bedenkzeit , Strafvollstreckungsaufschub, Strafaufschub |
| Portuguese | trégua |
| Spanish | pausa, descanso, respiro, alivio, solaz , atrasar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does respite come from?
From Anglo-Norman and Old French respit (“rest”), from Latin respectus. Doublet of respect.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).