reverend

/ˈɹɛvɹənd/

//ˈɹɛvɹənd// adj

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

"reverend" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“reverend” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,602. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,602
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Worthy of reverence or respect.

Corpus desk

Index EN-reverend · reverend · English

reverend · rank #10,602 · 12 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,602
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH renovation

Nearest frequency peer: renovation (-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 “reverend”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “reverend” 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).

reverend vs reverted
75% similar
reverend vs revere
75% similar
reverend vs revered
88% similar

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

Key facts for reverend
PropertyValue
Headwordreverend
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɹɛvɹənd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#10,602
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “reverend”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).reverendlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “renovation” (#10,601), “rust” (#10,604), “salty” (#10,605). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reverend” is #10,602. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around reverend (IPA /ˈɹɛvɹənd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #10,602 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for reverend, with forms such as "erverend", "reevrend", and "reveernd". 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 also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "reverted", "revere", "revered", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French révérend, from Old French, from Latin future passive participle reverendus (“that is to be respected”), from deponent verb revereor (“to honor, revere”). The correct English form is reverend, spelled R-E-V-E-R-E-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Worthy of reverence or respect.
  2. 2
    Showing or granting reverence or respect.
  3. 3
    Extreme, extraordinary, or powerful.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Near-synonyms: revered, esteemed
  2. The reverend doctor will enlighten us with a lecture on the germ theory.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French révérend, from Old French, from Latin future passive participle reverendus (“that is to be respected”), from deponent verb revereor (“to honor, revere”).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erverend
  • reevrend
  • reveernd
  • reveredn
  • reverendd
  • reverennd
  • reverned
  • reverrend
  • revreend
  • revverend
  • rreverend
  • rveerend

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erverend2reevrend2reveernd2reveredn2reverendd1reverennd1reverned2reverrend1
Edit distance from "reverend"

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 "reverend"?
"reverend" is spelled R-E-V-E-R-E-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛvɹənd/.
What does "reverend" mean?
As an adjective, "reverend" means: Worthy of reverence or respect.
What words are commonly confused with "reverend"?
"reverend" is commonly confused with "reverted", "revere", "revered". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reverend"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reverend" is /ˈɹɛvɹənd/. 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 "reverend"?
Borrowed from Middle French révérend, from Old French, from Latin future passive participle reverendus (“that is to be respected”), from deponent verb revereor (“to honor, revere”). 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 "reverend", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

scrutiny#10,607singular#10,610systemic#10,620notebook#10,583

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

pneumonia12 variantsthirsty12 variantsMcCarthy12 variantsuprising12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list