retrace
/ɹiːˈtɹeɪs/
"retrace" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“retrace” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,380. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #42,380
- frequency rank, English
- 3,094
- “R” headwords
- 10
- tracked misspellings
- 4
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To trace (a line, etc. in drawing) again.
Corpus desk
Index EN-retrace · retrace · English
retrace · rank #42,380 · 10 variants · 4 confusables
- FREQ-MID #42,380
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
- VAR-MID 10 variants
- BOOK-MID 3,094
- PHOTO-FINISH reusing
Nearest frequency peer: reusing (+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 “retrace”
Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword
- requisition
requisition
57,626 corpus weight
- retrace
retrace
57,621 corpus weight
- reusing
reusing
57,620 corpus weight
- RFA
RFA
57,619 corpus weight
- rivet
rivet
57,617 corpus weight
- Roa
Roa
57,616 corpus weight
What this shows “retrace” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | retrace |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɹiːˈtɹeɪs/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #42,380 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 4 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “retrace”
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 10 spelling variants around retrace (IPA /ɹiːˈtɹeɪs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #42,380 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for retrace, with forms such as "ertrace", "rertace", and "retarce". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "retract", "retracted", "retake", 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 French retracer, from Middle French retracier. The correct English form is retrace, spelled R-E-T-R-A-C-E.
Definition
- 1To trace (a line, etc. in drawing) again.
- 2To go back over something, usually in an attempt at rediscovery.
- 3To undergo retracement.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how retrace appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
He retraced his steps, and found his keys where he had dropped them.
Instead of retracing my route, I have elected to walk across Blackpool to the town's remaining large station, although even this has been greatly reduced in size.
Etymology
From French retracer, from Middle French retracier.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- ertrace
- rertace
- retarce
- retracce
- retraec
- retrcae
- retrrace
- rettrace
- rretrace
- rterace
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of retrace - 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.
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 "retrace"?
What does "retrace" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "retrace"?
How do you pronounce "retrace"?
What is the origin of the word "retrace"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "retrace", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).
Similar misspelling depth
Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).