reward

/ɹɪˈwɔːd/

//ɹɪˈwɔːd// noun

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

"reward" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“reward” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,116. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,116
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Something of value given in return for an act.

Corpus desk

Index EN-reward · reward · English

reward · rank #4,116 · 9 variants · 16 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,116
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 16 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH residential

Nearest frequency peer: residential (-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 “reward”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “reward” 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).

reward vs rewind
67% similar
reward vs rework
67% similar
reward vs rewarded
75% similar

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

Key facts for reward
PropertyValue
Headwordreward
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹɪˈwɔːd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#4,116
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “reward”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “residential” (#4,115), “rings” (#4,117), “requested” (#4,114). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reward” is #4,116. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around reward (IPA /ɹɪˈwɔːd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,116 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for reward, with forms such as "erward", "reawrd", and "rewadr". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "rewind", "rework", "rewarded", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English reward, rewarde, from Old French reward (“reward”) (compare Old French regard, whence modern French regard, and also English regard through Middle French), from rewarder (“to reward”) (compare Old French reguarder), from re- + warder (“t… The correct English form is reward, spelled R-E-W-A-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Something of value given in return for an act.
  2. 2
    A prize promised for a certain deed or catch
  3. 3
    The result of an action, whether good or bad.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. For catching the thief, you'll get a nice reward.
  2. The rewards for bringing in badly wanted criminals are printed on 'dead or alive' posters.

Etymology

From Middle English reward, rewarde, from Old French reward (“reward”) (compare Old French regard, whence modern French regard, and also English regard through Middle French), from rewarder (“to reward”) (compare Old French reguarder), from re- + warder (“to guard, keep”) (compare Old French guarder); the Anglo-Norman forms are derived from Old Northern French variants of Old French, ultimately of Germanic (Frankish) origin. Compare regard, warden, guard. See more below. Mostly displaced Old English mēd, whence Modern English meed. Displaced Old English lēan and edlēan.

Synonyms

acknowledgmentguerdonmeedpaybackrecompensereguerdonremunerationreward

Antonyms

penalty

This word in other languages

recompensa(Español)récompense(Français)Belohnung(Deutsch)recompensa(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erward
  • reawrd
  • rewadr
  • rewardd
  • rewarrd
  • rewrad
  • rewward
  • rreward
  • rweard

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erward2reawrd2rewadr2rewardd1rewarrd1rewrad2rewward1rreward1
Edit distance from "reward"

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 "reward"?
"reward" is spelled R-E-W-A-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈwɔːd/.
What does "reward" mean?
As a noun, "reward" means: Something of value given in return for an act.
What words are commonly confused with "reward"?
"reward" is commonly confused with "rewind", "rework", "rewarded". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reward"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reward" is /ɹɪˈwɔːd/. 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 "reward"?
From Middle English reward, rewarde, from Old French reward (“reward”) (compare Old French regard, whence modern French regard, and also English regard through Middle French), from rewarder (“to reward”) (compare Old French reguarder), from re- + ... 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 "reward", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

proven#4,111priest#4,109wooden#4,133genius#4,089

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Nigeria9 variantsfuckin9 variantsfoster9 variantscourage9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list