rewrite

/ˈɹiː.ɹaɪt/

//ˈɹiː.ɹaɪt// noun

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

"rewrite" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“rewrite” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,695. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,695
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of writing again or anew.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rewrite · rewrite · English

rewrite · rank #15,695 · 10 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,695
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rodeo

Nearest frequency peer: rodeo (+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 “rewrite”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “rewrite” 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).

rewrite vs rewrote
86% similar
rewrite vs rewritten
78% similar
rewrite vs recite
71% similar

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

Key facts for rewrite
PropertyValue
Headwordrewrite
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹiː.ɹaɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#15,695
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “rewrite”

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).rewritelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “rodeo” (#15,696), “reviewer” (#15,693), “SAS” (#15,697). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “rewrite” is #15,695. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around rewrite (IPA /ˈɹiː.ɹaɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,695 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for rewrite, with forms such as "erwrite", "rerwite", and "rewirte". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "rewrote", "rewritten", "recite", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From re- + write. The correct English form is rewrite, spelled R-E-W-R-I-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of writing again or anew.
  2. 2
    Something that has been written again.
  3. 3
    The replacement of subterms of a formula with other terms, according to certain rules, by way of transformation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The film script underwent a rewrite for the European market.
  2. After a month of writing and another month for rehearsals and re-writes, the three planned a one-night-only performance billed as a work in progress at Josie's Cabaret and Juice Joint in San Francisco.

Etymology

From re- + write.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erwrite
  • rerwite
  • rewirte
  • rewriet
  • rewritte
  • rewrrite
  • rewrtie
  • rewwrite
  • rrewrite
  • rwerite

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erwrite2rerwite2rewirte2rewriet2rewritte1rewrrite1rewrtie2rewwrite1
Edit distance from "rewrite"

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 "rewrite"?
"rewrite" is spelled R-E-W-R-I-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹiː.ɹaɪt/.
What does "rewrite" mean?
As a noun, "rewrite" means: The act of writing again or anew.
What words are commonly confused with "rewrite"?
"rewrite" is commonly confused with "rewrote", "rewritten", "recite". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rewrite"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rewrite" is /ˈɹiː.ɹaɪt/. 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 "rewrite"?
From re- + write. 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 "rewrite", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

rethink#15,692sobbing#15,704puberty#15,684starved#15,706

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

trendy10 variantsonstage10 variantsMoroccan10 variantsmermaid10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list