rethink

/ɹiːˈθɪŋk/

//ɹiːˈθɪŋk// verb

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

"rethink" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“rethink” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,692. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,692
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To think again about something, with the intention of changing or replacing it.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rethink · rethink · English

rethink · rank #15,692 · 11 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,692
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH respectfully

Nearest frequency peer: respectfully (-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 “rethink”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “rethink” 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).

rethink vs retina
71% similar
rethink vs retain
71% similar
rethink vs retains
71% similar

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

Key facts for rethink
PropertyValue
Headwordrethink
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹiːˈθɪŋk/
Letters7
Frequency rank#15,692
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “rethink”

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).rethinklands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “respectfully” (#15,691), “reviewer” (#15,693), “reggae” (#15,689). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “rethink” is #15,692. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around rethink (IPA /ɹiːˈθɪŋk/), averb. Corpus frequency is #15,692 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To think again about something, with the intention of changing or replacing it.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for rethink, with forms such as "erthink", "rehtink", and "rethhink". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "retina", "retain", "retains", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From re- + think. The correct English form is rethink, spelled R-E-T-H-I-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To think again about something, with the intention of changing or replacing it.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Disability rights advocates are encouraging people to rethink the words "crazy" and "insane" as they stigmatize mental health.
  2. There's a myth that incest survivors are an extremely small percentage of the gay male community. But that belief is something that needs to be rethought. One in six men (gay and straight) polled in a 1985 Los Angeles Times survey reported being sexually abused before the age of 18.

Etymology

From re- + think.

This word in other languages

repensar(Español)repenser(Français)überdenken(Deutsch)repensar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erthink
  • rehtink
  • rethhink
  • rethikn
  • rethinkk
  • rethinnk
  • rethnik
  • retihnk
  • retthink
  • rrethink
  • rtehink

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rethink - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

erthink2rehtink2rethhink1rethikn2rethinkk1rethinnk1rethnik2retihnk2
Edit distance from "rethink"

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 "rethink"?
"rethink" is spelled R-E-T-H-I-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹiːˈθɪŋk/.
What does "rethink" mean?
As a verb, "rethink" means: To think again about something, with the intention of changing or replacing it.
What words are commonly confused with "rethink"?
"rethink" is commonly confused with "retina", "retain", "retains". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rethink"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rethink" is /ɹiːˈθɪŋk/. 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 "rethink"?
From re- + think. 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 "rethink", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

rewrite#15,695puberty#15,684sobbing#15,704starved#15,706

Similar misspelling depth

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

reviewer11 variantssnapping11 variantsspitting11 variantsstuffing11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list