retract

/ɹɪˈtɹækt/

//ɹɪˈtɹækt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“retract” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,994. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,994
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To pull (something) back or back inside.

Corpus desk

Index EN-retract · retract · English

retract · rank #27,994 · 11 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,994
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH ria

Nearest frequency peer: ria (+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 “retract”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “retract” 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).

retract vs retreat
71% similar
retract vs retracted
78% similar
retract vs react
71% similar

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

Key facts for retract
PropertyValue
Headwordretract
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈtɹækt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#27,994
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “retract”

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).retractlands 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 “ria” (#27,995), “resounding” (#27,992), “roared” (#27,997). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “retract” is #27,994. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around retract (IPA /ɹɪˈtɹækt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #27,994 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for retract, with forms such as "ertract", "rertact", and "retarct". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "retreat", "retracted", "react", 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 Late Middle English retracten, retract (“to absorb, draw in”), from Latin retractus (“withdrawn”), the perfect passive participle of Latin retrahō (“to draw or pull back, withdraw; to bring back; to compel to turn back; to recall; to get back, recover;… The correct English form is retract, spelled R-E-T-R-A-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To pull (something) back or back inside.
  2. 2
    To pull (something) back or back inside.
  3. 3
    To avert (one's eyes or a gaze).
  4. 4
    To pronounce (a sound, especially a vowel) farther to the back of the vocal tract.
  5. 5
    To hold back (something); to restrain.
  6. 6
    To draw back; to draw up; to withdraw.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. An airplane retracts its wheels for flight.
  2. The collector shoes are automatically retracted when the electric handle is moved from "service off" to "lock off".

Etymology

From Late Middle English retracten, retract (“to absorb, draw in”), from Latin retractus (“withdrawn”), the perfect passive participle of Latin retrahō (“to draw or pull back, withdraw; to bring back; to compel to turn back; to recall; to get back, recover; to hold back, restrain, withhold; to remove, take away; to bring to light again; (Late Latin) to delay”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again’) + trahō (“to drag, pull; to extract, withdraw”). Doublet of retreat.

This word in other languages

retraer(Español)rétracter(Français)retrair(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ertract
  • rertact
  • retarct
  • retracct
  • retractt
  • retratc
  • retrcat
  • retrract
  • rettract
  • rretract
  • rteract

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ertract2rertact2retarct2retracct1retractt1retratc2retrcat2retrract1
Edit distance from "retract"

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 "retract"?
"retract" is spelled R-E-T-R-A-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈtɹækt/.
What does "retract" mean?
As a verb, "retract" means: To pull (something) back or back inside.
What words are commonly confused with "retract"?
"retract" is commonly confused with "retreat", "retracted", "react". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "retract"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "retract" is /ɹɪˈtɹækt/. 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 "retract"?
From Late Middle English retracten, retract (“to absorb, draw in”), from Latin retractus (“withdrawn”), the perfect passive participle of Latin retrahō (“to draw or pull back, withdraw; to bring back; to compel to turn back; to recall; to get 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 "retract", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Redding#27,988rancher#27,985Salazar#28,003prickly#27,974

Similar misspelling depth

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

scaffold11 variantsshowbiz11 variantsPornhub11 variantsOsbourne11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list