rhythm

/ˈɹɪð.m̩/

//ˈɹɪð.m̩// noun

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

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

The verdict

“rhythm” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,614. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,614
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The variation of strong and weak elements (such as duration, accent) of sounds, notably in speech or music, over time; a beat or meter.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rhythm · rhythm · English

rhythm · rank #6,614 · 11 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,614
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH retire

Nearest frequency peer: retire (-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 “rhythm”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “rhythm” 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).

rhythm vs rhythms
86% similar
rhythm vs rhythmic
75% similar

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

Key facts for rhythm
PropertyValue
Headwordrhythm
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɪð.m̩/
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,614
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “rhythm”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).rhythmlands 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 “retire” (#6,613), “ruth” (#6,615), “rats” (#6,612). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “rhythm” is #6,614. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around rhythm (IPA /ˈɹɪð.m̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,614 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for rhythm, with forms such as "hrythm", "rhhythm", and "rhtyhm". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "rhythms", "rhythmic", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: First coined in 1557, from Latin rhythmus, from Ancient Greek ῥυθμός (rhuthmós, “any measured flow or movement, symmetry, rhythm”), from ῥέω (rhéō, “to flow, run, stream, gush”). The correct English form is rhythm, spelled R-H-Y-T-H-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The variation of strong and weak elements (such as duration, accent) of sounds, notably in speech or music, over time; a beat or meter.
  2. 2
    A specifically defined pattern of such variation.
  3. 3
    A flow, repetition or regularity.
  4. 4
    The tempo or speed of a beat, song or repetitive event.
  5. 5
    The musical instruments which provide rhythm (mainly; not or less melody) in a musical ensemble.
  6. 6
    A regular quantitative change in a variable (notably natural) process.
  7. 7
    Controlled repetition of a phrase, incident or other element as a stylistic figure in literature and other narrative arts; the effect it creates.
  8. 8
    A person's natural feeling for rhythm.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Dance to the rhythm of the music.
  2. Hicks is both thwarter and thwartee of Daedalean plots. Aboard a train, the rhythm of the wheels sounds to him like "wottachump, wottachump, wottachump."

Etymology

First coined in 1557, from Latin rhythmus, from Ancient Greek ῥυθμός (rhuthmós, “any measured flow or movement, symmetry, rhythm”), from ῥέω (rhéō, “to flow, run, stream, gush”).

Synonyms

metermetreprosodyrhythm section

This word in other languages

ritmo(Español)rythme(Français)Rhythmus(Deutsch)ritmo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hrythm
  • rhhythm
  • rhtyhm
  • rhyhtm
  • rhythhm
  • rhythmm
  • rhytmh
  • rhytthm
  • rhyythm
  • rrhythm
  • ryhthm

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hrythm2rhhythm1rhtyhm2rhyhtm2rhythhm1rhythmm1rhytmh2rhytthm1
Edit distance from "rhythm"

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 "rhythm"?
"rhythm" is spelled R-H-Y-T-H-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɪð.m̩/.
What does "rhythm" mean?
As a noun, "rhythm" means: The variation of strong and weak elements (such as duration, accent) of sounds, notably in speech or music, over time; a beat or meter.
What words are commonly confused with "rhythm"?
"rhythm" is commonly confused with "rhythms", "rhythmic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rhythm"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rhythm" is /ˈɹɪð.m̩/. 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 "rhythm"?
First coined in 1557, from Latin rhythmus, from Ancient Greek ῥυθμός (rhuthmós, “any measured flow or movement, symmetry, rhythm”), from ῥέω (rhéō, “to flow, run, stream, gush”). 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 "rhythm", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

retire#6,613savage#6,616ranges#6,611rabbit#6,609

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

planets11 variantspassport11 variantsmedieval11 variantstravels11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list