rigor

/ˈɹɪɡɚ/

//ˈɹɪɡɚ// noun

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

"rigor" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“rigor” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,577. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,577
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - US spelling of rigour.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rigor · rigor · English

rigor · rank #26,577 · 7 variants · 19 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,577
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 19 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH Reza

Nearest frequency peer: Reza (-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 “rigor”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “rigor” 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).

rigor vs Rio
40% similar
rigor vs riot
60% similar
rigor vs rigs
60% similar

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

Key facts for rigor
PropertyValue
Headwordrigor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɪɡɚ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#26,577
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “rigor”

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).rigorlands 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 “Reza” (#26,576), “revue” (#26,575), “Rizzo” (#26,579). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “rigor” is #26,577. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around rigor (IPA /ˈɹɪɡɚ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #26,577 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for rigor, with forms such as "irgor", "rgior", and "riggor". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "Rio", "riot", "rigs", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French, from Latin rigor (“stiffness, rigidity, rigor, cold, harshness”), from rigere (“to be rigid”). The correct English form is rigor, spelled R-I-G-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    US spelling of rigour.
  2. 2
    A feeling of cold with shivering accompanied by a rise in body temperature.
  3. 3
    Ellipsis of rigor mortis.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Heat always upped the rate at which rigor gripped a corpse.

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin rigor (“stiffness, rigidity, rigor, cold, harshness”), from rigere (“to be rigid”).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • irgor
  • rgior
  • riggor
  • rigorr
  • rigro
  • riogr
  • rrigor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rigor - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

irgor2rgior2riggor1rigorr1rigro2riogr2rrigor1
Edit distance from "rigor"

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 "rigor"?
"rigor" is spelled R-I-G-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɪɡɚ/.
What does "rigor" mean?
As a noun, "rigor" means: US spelling of rigour.
What words are commonly confused with "rigor"?
"rigor" is commonly confused with "Rio", "riot", "rigs". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rigor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rigor" is /ˈɹɪɡɚ/. 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 "rigor"?
From Old French, from Latin rigor (“stiffness, rigidity, rigor, cold, harshness”), from rigere (“to be rigid”). 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 "rigor", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

revue#26,575Rizzo#26,579roper#26,585pubic#26,562

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

pegged7 variantsSonya7 variantsOrson7 variantstbsp7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list