retro
ret·ro/ˈɹɛt.ɹoʊ/adjective, noun
retro is spelled R-E-T-R-O: 5 letters and 2 syllables (ret·ro). It appears 5.4 times per million words in written English, the 10,680th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, retro means “Of, or relating to, the past, past times, or the way things were” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in retro?
| Letters | 5: R-E-T-R-O |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: ret·ro |
| In writing | 5.4 times per million words; the 10,680th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is retro?
Retro appears 5.4 times per million words in written English, the 10,680th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce retro?
- UK /ˈɹɛt.ɹəʊ/
- US /ˈɹɛt.ɹoʊ/
- Australia /ˈɹet.ɹəʉ/
Retro has 2 syllables, split ret·ro in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-retro.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with retro?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as retro from its last stressed vowel (/ɛtɹoʊ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of retro
- more retro comparative
- most retro superlative
- retros plural
- retroes plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does retro mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of, or relating to, the past, past times, or the way things were.
- 2
Affecting things past; retroactive, ex post facto.
noun
- 1
Past fashions or trends.
- 2
Abbreviation of retrorocket.
- 3
Abbreviation of retrospective.
- 4
A chess puzzle of retrograde analysis, requiring the solver to work out the history of moves leading to the position presented.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Retro in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does retro come from?
Borrowed from French rétro, ultimately from Latin retro.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).