restless

/ˈɹɛstlɪs/

//ˈɹɛstlɪs// adj

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

"restless" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“restless” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,051. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,051
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not allowing or affording rest.

Corpus desk

Index EN-restless · restless · English

restless · rank #13,051 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #13,051
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH respecting

Nearest frequency peer: respecting (-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 “restless”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “restless” 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).

restless vs reckless
75% similar

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

Key facts for restless
PropertyValue
Headwordrestless
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɹɛstlɪs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#13,051
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “restless”

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).restlesslands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “respecting” (#13,050), “rugged” (#13,052), “repost” (#13,049). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “restless” is #13,051. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around restless (IPA /ˈɹɛstlɪs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #13,051 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for restless, with forms such as "erstless", "resltess", and "resstless". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "reckless", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English restles, restelees, from Old English ræstlēas, equivalent to rest + -less. The correct English form is restless, spelled R-E-S-T-L-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not allowing or affording rest.
  2. 2
    Without rest; unable to be still or quiet; uneasy; continually moving.
  3. 3
    Not satisfied to be at rest or in peace; averse to repose; eager for change; discontented.
  4. 4
    Deprived of rest or sleep.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The night before his wedding was a restless one.
  2. He was a restless child.

Etymology

From Middle English restles, restelees, from Old English ræstlēas, equivalent to rest + -less.

This word in other languages

inquieto(Español)inquiet(Français)unruhig(Deutsch)inquieto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erstless
  • resltess
  • resstless
  • restelss
  • restles
  • restlless
  • restlses
  • resttless
  • retsless
  • rrestless
  • rsetless

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erstless2resltess2resstless1restelss2restles1restlless1restlses2resttless1
Edit distance from "restless"

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 "restless"?
"restless" is spelled R-E-S-T-L-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛstlɪs/.
What does "restless" mean?
As an adjective, "restless" means: Not allowing or affording rest.
What words are commonly confused with "restless"?
"restless" is commonly confused with "reckless". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "restless"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "restless" is /ˈɹɛstlɪs/. 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 "restless"?
From Middle English restles, restelees, from Old English ræstlēas, equivalent to rest + -less. 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 "restless", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

referral#13,048prolific#13,044praising#13,040Sinclair#13,063

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Parsons11 variantsmotivate11 variantsMarxist11 variantsLindsey11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list