righteous

/ˈɹaɪt͡ʃəs/

//ˈɹaɪt͡ʃəs// adj

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

"righteous" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“righteous” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,663 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#9,663
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Free from sin or guilt.

Key facts for righteous
PropertyValue
Headwordrighteous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɹaɪt͡ʃəs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#9,663
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “righteous” 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). righteous 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 righteous is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɹaɪt͡ʃəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,663 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for righteous, with forms such as "irghteous", "rgihteous", and "rigghteous". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From earlier rightuous, rightwose, rightwos, rightwise, from Middle English rightwise, rightwis, from Old English rihtwīs (“righteous, just”), corresponding to right + -wise (with assimilation of second element to -ous), or to right + wise (“way, manner”). … The correct English form is righteous, spelled R-I-G-H-T-E-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Free from sin or guilt.
  2. 2
    Moral and virtuous, perhaps to the point of sanctimony.
  3. 3
    Justified morally.
  4. 4
    Awesome; great.
  5. 5
    Major; large; significant.

Etymology

From earlier rightuous, rightwose, rightwos, rightwise, from Middle English rightwise, rightwis, from Old English rihtwīs (“righteous, just”), corresponding to right + -wise (with assimilation of second element to -ous), or to right + wise (“way, manner”). Cognate with Scots richtwis (“righteous”), Old High German rehtwīsic (“righteous, just”), Icelandic réttvíss (“righteous, just”). Compare also thefteous, mighteous.

This word in other languages

inmaculado(Español)juste(Français)rechtschaffen(Deutsch)inocente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: irghteous,rgihteous,rigghteous,righetous,righhteous,righteosu,righteouss,righteuos,rightoeus,rightteous,rigtheous,rihgteous,rrighteous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

irghteous2rgihteous2rigghteous1righetous2righhteous1righteosu2righteouss1righteuos2
Edit distance from "righteous"

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 "righteous"?
"righteous" is spelled R-I-G-H-T-E-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹaɪt͡ʃəs/.
What does "righteous" mean?
As an adjective, "righteous" means: Free from sin or guilt.
What are common misspellings of "righteous"?
Common misspellings include "irghteous", "rgihteous", "rigghteous", "righetous", "righhteous". The correct spelling is "righteous".
How do you pronounce "righteous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "righteous" is /ˈɹaɪt͡ʃəs/. 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 "righteous"?
From earlier rightuous, rightwose, rightwos, rightwise, from Middle English rightwise, rightwis, from Old English rihtwīs (“righteous, just”), corresponding to right + -wise (with assimilation of second element to -ous), or to right + wise (“way, ... 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 “righteous”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-I-G-H-T-E-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹaɪt͡ʃəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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