reuse

/ɹiːˈjuːs/

//ɹiːˈjuːs// noun

"reuse" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“reuse” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,938 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#17,938
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of salvaging or in some manner restoring a discarded item to yield something usable.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

reuse vs rue
60% similar
reuse vs Rus
40% similar
reuse vs rule
60% similar

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

Key facts for reuse
PropertyValue
Headwordreuse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹiːˈjuːs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#17,938
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “reuse” 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). reuse lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for reuse is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹiːˈjuːs/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,938 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for reuse, with forms such as "eruse", "resue", and "reues". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "rue", "Rus", "rule", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From re- + use. The correct English form is reuse, spelled R-E-U-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of salvaging or in some manner restoring a discarded item to yield something usable.
  2. 2
    The act of using again, or in another place.

Etymology

From re- + use.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eruse,resue,reues,reusse,rreuse,ruese

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eruse2resue2reues2reusse1rreuse1ruese2
Edit distance from "reuse"

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 "reuse"?
"reuse" is spelled R-E-U-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹiːˈjuːs/.
What does "reuse" mean?
As a noun, "reuse" means: The act of salvaging or in some manner restoring a discarded item to yield something usable.
What words are commonly confused with "reuse"?
"reuse" is commonly confused with "rue", "Rus", "rule". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reuse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reuse" is /ɹiːˈjuːs/. 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 "reuse"?
From re- + use. 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.

Using “reuse”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is R-E-U-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɹiːˈjuːs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “rue” - see the side-by-side comparison. reuse vs rue
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list