retire

/ɹəˈtaɪə(ɹ)/

//ɹəˈtaɪə(ɹ)// verb

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

"retire" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“retire” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,613. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,613
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To stop working on a permanent basis, usually because of old age or illness.

Corpus desk

Index EN-retire · retire · English

retire · rank #6,613 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,613
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rats

Nearest frequency peer: rats (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “retire”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “retire” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

retire vs retro
67% similar
retire vs retry
67% similar
retire vs return
67% similar

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

Key facts for retire
PropertyValue
Headwordretire
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹəˈtaɪə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,613
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “retire” 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).retirelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “rats” (#6,612), “rhythm” (#6,614), “ranges” (#6,611). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around retire (IPA /ɹəˈtaɪə(ɹ)/), averb. Corpus frequency is #6,613 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for retire, with forms such as "ertire", "reitre", and "retier". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "retro", "retry", "return", 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 French retirer (“draw back”), from Old French retirer, built from re- (“back”) + tirer (“draw, pull”), the latter from Vulgar Latin *tīrāre, of highly uncertain origin. The correct English form is retire, spelled R-E-T-I-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To stop working on a permanent basis, usually because of old age or illness.
  2. 2
    To stop playing their sport and in competitions a sports player.
  3. 3
    To withdraw; to take away.
  4. 4
    To cease use or production of something.
  5. 5
    To withdraw from circulation, or from the market; to take up and pay.
  6. 6
    To cause to retire; specifically, to designate as no longer qualified for active service; to place on the retired list.
  7. 7
    To voluntarily stop batting before being dismissed so that the next batsman can bat.
  8. 8
    To make a play which results in a runner or the batter being out, either by means of a put out, fly out or strikeout. Also, when such an event ends a team's turn at bat.
  9. 9
    To go back or return; to withdraw or retreat, especially from public view; to go into privacy.
  10. 10
    To retreat from action or danger; to withdraw for safety or pleasure.
  11. 11
    To recede; to fall or bend back.
  12. 12
    To go to bed.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Having made a large fortune, he retired.
  2. He wants to retire at 55.

Etymology

From Middle French retirer (“draw back”), from Old French retirer, built from re- (“back”) + tirer (“draw, pull”), the latter from Vulgar Latin *tīrāre, of highly uncertain origin.

This word in other languages

jubilar(Español)prendre sa retraite(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ertire
  • reitre
  • retier
  • retirre
  • retrie
  • rettire
  • rretire
  • rteire

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ertire2reitre2retier2retirre1retrie2rettire1rretire1rteire2
Edit distance from "retire"

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 "retire"?
"retire" is spelled R-E-T-I-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹəˈtaɪə(ɹ)/.
What does "retire" mean?
As a verb, "retire" means: To stop working on a permanent basis, usually because of old age or illness.
What words are commonly confused with "retire"?
"retire" is commonly confused with "retro", "retry", "return". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "retire"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "retire" is /ɹəˈtaɪə(ɹ)/. 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 "retire"?
From Middle French retirer (“draw back”), from Old French retirer, built from re- (“back”) + tirer (“draw, pull”), the latter from Vulgar Latin *tīrāre, of highly uncertain origin. 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 "retire", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

rhythm#6,614ranges#6,611savage#6,616rabbit#6,609

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

stack8 variantsWallace8 variantsgraph8 variantsfiling8 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "retire". Here's where to go from here.

  • "retire" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "retro". View pair
  • 8 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #6,613 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "R" letter cohort. R–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list