retreat

/ɹɪˈtɹiːt/

//ɹɪˈtɹiːt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“retreat” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,833. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,833
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.

Corpus desk

Index EN-retreat · retreat · English

retreat · rank #5,833 · 10 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,833
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH reportedly

Nearest frequency peer: reportedly (-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 “retreat”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “retreat” 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).

retreat vs retweet
71% similar
retreat vs retrial
71% similar
retreat vs repeat
71% similar

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

Key facts for retreat
PropertyValue
Headwordretreat
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹɪˈtɹiːt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#5,833
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “retreat”

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).retreatlands 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 “reportedly” (#5,832), “rookie” (#5,834), “Putin” (#5,831). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “retreat” is #5,833. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around retreat (IPA /ɹɪˈtɹiːt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,833 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for retreat, with forms such as "ertreat", "rerteat", and "reterat". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "retweet", "retrial", "repeat", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English retret, from Old French retrait or retret, from Latin retractus, from retraho. Doublet of retract, retrait, and ritratto. The correct English form is retreat, spelled R-E-T-R-E-A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.
  2. 2
    The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.
  3. 3
    The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.
  4. 4
    A peaceful, quiet place affording privacy or security.
  5. 5
    A peaceful, quiet place in which to urinate and defecate: an outhouse; a lavatory.
  6. 6
    A period of retirement, seclusion, or solitude, especially for meditation, prayer, or study.
  7. 7
    A signal for a military withdrawal.
  8. 8
    A bugle call or drumbeat signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset, as on a military base.
  9. 9
    A military ceremony to lower the flag.
  10. 10
    The move of a piece from a threatened position.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In a retreat he outruns any lackey.
  2. The general opted for a swift retreat because he saw his troops were vastly outnumbered.

Etymology

From Middle English retret, from Old French retrait or retret, from Latin retractus, from retraho. Doublet of retract, retrait, and ritratto.

This word in other languages

retirada(Español)retraite(Français)Rückzug(Deutsch)retirada(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ertreat
  • rerteat
  • reterat
  • retraet
  • retreatt
  • retreta
  • retrreat
  • rettreat
  • rretreat
  • rtereat

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ertreat2rerteat2reterat2retraet2retreatt1retreta2retrreat1rettreat1
Edit distance from "retreat"

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 "retreat"?
"retreat" is spelled R-E-T-R-E-A-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈtɹiːt/.
What does "retreat" mean?
As a noun, "retreat" means: The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.
What words are commonly confused with "retreat"?
"retreat" is commonly confused with "retweet", "retrial", "repeat". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "retreat"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "retreat" is /ɹɪˈtɹiːt/. 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 "retreat"?
From Middle English retret, from Old French retrait or retret, from Latin retractus, from retraho. Doublet of retract, retrait, and ritratto. 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 "retreat", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

precise#5,825skilled#5,841playoff#5,824surgeon#5,844

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

sexually10 variantsMurphy10 variantsmiracle10 variantsBeijing10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list