retort

/ɹɪˈtɔɹt/

//ɹɪˈtɔɹt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“retort” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,397. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,397
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback.

Corpus desk

Index EN-retort · retort · English

retort · rank #33,397 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #33,397
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH retards

Nearest frequency peer: retards (-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 “retort”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “retort” 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).

retort vs retro
67% similar
retort vs rotor
67% similar
retort vs retry
67% similar

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

Key facts for retort
PropertyValue
Headwordretort
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹɪˈtɔɹt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#33,397
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “retort”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).retortlands 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 “retards” (#33,396), “revitalization” (#33,398), “retardation” (#33,395). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “retort” is #33,397. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around retort (IPA /ɹɪˈtɔɹt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #33,397 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for retort, with forms such as "ertort", "reotrt", and "retorrt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "retro", "rotor", "retry", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English retorte, from Latin retortus, from retorquēre (“to be forced to twist back”). The correct English form is retort, spelled R-E-T-O-R-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. He countered her insult with a clever retort.

Etymology

From Middle English retorte, from Latin retortus, from retorquēre (“to be forced to twist back”).

This word in other languages

réplica(Español)réplique(Français)Erwiderung(Deutsch)réplica(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ertort
  • reotrt
  • retorrt
  • retortt
  • retotr
  • retrot
  • rettort
  • rretort
  • rteort

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of retort - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ertort2reotrt2retorrt1retortt1retotr2retrot2rettort1rretort1
Edit distance from "retort"

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 "retort"?
"retort" is spelled R-E-T-O-R-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈtɔɹt/.
What does "retort" mean?
As a noun, "retort" means: A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback.
What words are commonly confused with "retort"?
"retort" is commonly confused with "retro", "rotor", "retry". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "retort"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "retort" is /ɹɪˈtɔɹt/. 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 "retort"?
From Middle English retorte, from Latin retortus, from retorquēre (“to be forced to twist back”). 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 "retort", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

rework#33,399rudely#33,401Rennie#33,391Selina#33,412

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

sawmill9 variantsquench9 variantsshogun9 variantsprimes9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list