rode

/ɹəʊd/

//ɹəʊd// verb

"rode" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“rode” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,198 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#8,198
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - simple past of ride

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

rode vs row
50% similar
rode vs Roy
25% similar
rode vs Ron
25% similar

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

Key facts for rode
PropertyValue
Headwordrode
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹəʊd/
Letters4
Frequency rank#8,198
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rode” 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). rode 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 rode is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹəʊd/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,198 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 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 rode, with forms such as "orde", "rdoe", and "rodde". 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, "row", "Roy", "Ron", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct English form is rode, spelled R-O-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    simple past of ride
  2. 2
    past participle of ride

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: orde,rdoe,rodde,roed,rrode

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

orde2rdoe2rodde1roed2rrode1
Edit distance from "rode"

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 "rode"?
"rode" is spelled R-O-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹəʊd/.
What does "rode" mean?
As a verb, "rode" means: simple past of ride
What words are commonly confused with "rode"?
"rode" is commonly confused with "row", "Roy", "Ron". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rode"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rode" is /ɹəʊd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "rode" come from?
"rode" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “rode”

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

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