roar

Name: roar, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ɹɔː/

//ɹɔː// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“roar” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,282 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#11,282
frequency rank, English: 4
letters: 5
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

roar vs RR

0% similar

roar vs row

50% similar

roar vs rob

50% similar

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

Key facts for roar
Property	Value
Headword	roar
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/ɹɔː/
Letters	4
Frequency rank	#11,282
Misspellings tracked	5
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “roar” 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). roar lands here:

#11,282

#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 roar is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɔː/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,282 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for roar, with forms such as "orar", "raor", and "roarr". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "RR", "row", "rob", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English roren, raren, from Old English rārian (“to roar; wail; lament”), from Proto-West Germanic *rairōn, from Proto-Germanic *rairōną (“to bellow; roar”), from Proto-Indo-European *rey- (“to shout; bellow; yell; bark”), perhaps of imitative or… The correct English form is roar, spelled R-O-A-R.

Definition

1
To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
2
To laugh in a particularly loud manner.
3
Of animals (especially a lion), to make a loud deep noise.
4
Generally, of inanimate objects etc., to make a loud resounding noise.
5
To proceed vigorously.
6
To cry aloud; to proclaim loudly.
7
To be boisterous; to be disorderly.
8
To make a loud noise in breathing, as horses do when they have a certain disease.
9
To cry.

Etymology

From Middle English roren, raren, from Old English rārian (“to roar; wail; lament”), from Proto-West Germanic *rairōn, from Proto-Germanic *rairōną (“to bellow; roar”), from Proto-Indo-European *rey- (“to shout; bellow; yell; bark”), perhaps of imitative origin. Cognate with Saterland Frisian roorje (“to roar”), German röhren (“to roar”).

This word in other languages

rugir(Español)rugir(Français)brüllen(Deutsch)rugir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: orar,raor,roarr,rora,rroar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "roar"

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 "roar"?

"roar" is spelled R-O-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɔː/.

What does "roar" mean?

As a verb, "roar" means: To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.

What words are commonly confused with "roar"?

"roar" is commonly confused with "RR", "row", "rob". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "roar"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "roar" is /ɹɔː/. 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 "roar"?

From Middle English roren, raren, from Old English rārian (“to roar; wail; lament”), from Proto-West Germanic *rairōn, from Proto-Germanic *rairōną (“to bellow; roar”), from Proto-Indo-European *rey- (“to shout; bellow; yell; bark”), perhaps of im... 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 “roar”

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

The one correct English spelling is R-O-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ɹɔː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “RR” - see the side-by-side comparison. roar vs RR
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.