retrograde

/ˈɹɛtɹə(ʊ)ɡɹeɪd/

//ˈɹɛtɹə(ʊ)ɡɹeɪd// adj

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

"retrograde" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“retrograde” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,906. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,906
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Directed or moving backwards in relation to the normal or previous direction of travel; retreating.

Corpus desk

Index EN-retrograde · retrograde · English

retrograde · rank #25,906 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,906
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH retailing

Nearest frequency peer: retailing (-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 “retrograde”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “retrograde” 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
Key facts for retrograde
PropertyValue
Headwordretrograde
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɹɛtɹə(ʊ)ɡɹeɪd/
Letters10
Frequency rank#25,906
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “retrograde”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).retrogradelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “retailing” (#25,905), “reunification” (#25,907), “resumption” (#25,904). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “retrograde” is #25,906. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around retrograde (IPA /ˈɹɛtɹə(ʊ)ɡɹeɪd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #25,906 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 13 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for retrograde, with forms such as "ertrograde", "rertograde", and "retorgrade". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective is derived from Middle English retrograd, retrograde (“of a planet: appearing to move in a direction opposite to the order of the zodiac signs, retrograde; unfortunate”), from Middle French retrograde and Old French retrograde (“of a celestial… The correct English form is retrograde, spelled R-E-T-R-O-G-R-A-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Directed or moving backwards in relation to the normal or previous direction of travel; retreating.
  2. 2
    Reverting to an inferior or less developed state; declining, regressing.
  3. 3
    Reverting to an inferior or less developed state; declining, regressing.
  4. 4
    Of the order of something: inverse, reverse.
  5. 5
    Of the order of something: inverse, reverse.
  6. 6
    Of ideas or a person: opposing social reform, favouring the maintenance of the status quo; conservative.
  7. 7
    Involving a return to or a retracing of a previous course of travel.
  8. 8
    Counterproductive to a desired outcome; contradictory, contrary.
  9. 9
    Of a celestial body orbiting another: in the opposite direction to the orbited body's spin.
  10. 10
    Of a celestial body: seeming to move across the sky in the opposite direction from its ordinary movement.
  11. 11
    Of a metamorphic change: resulting from a decrease in pressure or temperature.
  12. 12
    Of amnesia: relating to the period leading up to the episode which caused it.
  13. 13
    Of verse: reading the same forwards or backwards; palindromic.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. retrograde ideas, morals, etc.
  2. Such retrograde people still exist, resisting modernity, dragging their feet.

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Middle English retrograd, retrograde (“of a planet: appearing to move in a direction opposite to the order of the zodiac signs, retrograde; unfortunate”), from Middle French retrograde and Old French retrograde (“of a celestial object: appearing to move backwards; moving backwards; reverse; palindromic; opposed to change”) (modern French rétrograde), and from their etymon Latin retrōgradus (“of a celestial object: appearing to move backwards”) (compare Late Latin retrōgradus (“reverse; palindromic”)), from retrō (“back, backwards; behind; before, formerly”) + gradus (“pace, step”). By surface analysis, retro- + -grade. The adverb and noun are derived from the adjective.

Antonyms

anterogradeprograde

This word in other languages

rétrograde(Français)retrograd(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ertrograde
  • rertograde
  • retorgrade
  • retrgorade
  • retrogarde
  • retroggrade
  • retrogradde
  • retrograed
  • retrogrdae
  • retrogrrade
  • retrorgade
  • retrrograde
  • rettrograde
  • rretrograde
  • rterograde

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ertrograde2rertograde2retorgrade2retrgorade2retrogarde2retroggrade1retrogradde1retrograed2
Edit distance from "retrograde"

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 "retrograde"?
"retrograde" is spelled R-E-T-R-O-G-R-A-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛtɹə(ʊ)ɡɹeɪd/.
What does "retrograde" mean?
As an adjective, "retrograde" means: Directed or moving backwards in relation to the normal or previous direction of travel; retreating.
What are common misspellings of "retrograde"?
Common misspellings include "ertrograde", "rertograde", "retorgrade", "retrgorade", "retrogarde". The correct spelling is "retrograde".
How do you pronounce "retrograde"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "retrograde" is /ˈɹɛtɹə(ʊ)ɡɹeɪd/. 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 "retrograde"?
The adjective is derived from Middle English retrograd, retrograde (“of a planet: appearing to move in a direction opposite to the order of the zodiac signs, retrograde; unfortunate”), from Middle French retrograde and Old French retrograde (“of a... 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 "retrograde", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

resumption#25,904respondent#25,903salmonella#25,916persuading#25,878

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

splashing15 variantspercentile15 variantsorthopedic15 variantsoftentimes15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list