retrain

/ɹiːˈtɹeɪn/

//ɹiːˈtɹeɪn// verb

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

The verdict

“retrain” is uncommon English (frequency #51,951 among 3,094 “R” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,951
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To train again; especially, to train or study in a new subject or job

Corpus desk

Index EN-retrain · retrain · English

retrain · rank #51,951 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,951
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH retest

Nearest frequency peer: retest (-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 “retrain”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “retrain” 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
Key facts for retrain
PropertyValue
Headwordretrain
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹiːˈtɹeɪn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#51,951
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “retrain” 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). retrain lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

retrain is uncommon English at frequency #51,951 among 3,094 “R” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɹiːˈtɹeɪn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To train again; especially, to train or study in a new subject or job".

No generated misspelling entries exist for retrain in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From re- + train. The correct English form is retrain, spelled R-E-T-R-A-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To train again; especially, to train or study in a new subject or job

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. New York City's largest hospital has agreed to retrain some unionized employees whose jobs were to be eliminated under an austerity drive, the hospital and its largest labor union said yesterday.
  2. In 1995, Sharon Brown and her husband, Daryck, founded Environmental and Occupational Safety Services at their kitchen table. The company, which retrains workers in the fields of environmental engineering and cleanup, started to grow by winning contracts from the state of New Jersey and later branched out to do work for the federal government as well.

Etymology

From re- + train.

This word in other languages

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "retrain"?
"retrain" is spelled R-E-T-R-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹiːˈtɹeɪn/.
What does "retrain" mean?
As a verb, "retrain" means: To train again; especially, to train or study in a new subject or job
How do you pronounce "retrain"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "retrain" is /ɹiːˈtɹeɪn/. 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 "retrain"?
From re- + train. 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 "retrain", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

What to do next

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

  • Usage frequency rank #51,951 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