roof

/ɹuːf/

//ɹuːf// noun

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

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

The verdict

“roof” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,760 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,760
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The external covering at the top of a building.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

roof vs row
50% similar
roof vs Roy
25% similar
roof vs rot
50% similar

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

Key facts for roof
PropertyValue
Headwordroof
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹuːf/
Letters4
Frequency rank#2,760
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “roof” 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). roof 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 roof is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹuːf/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,760 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 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 roof, with forms such as "orof", "rof", and "rofo". 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", "rot", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English rof, from Old English hrōf (“roof, ceiling; top, summit; heaven, sky”), from Proto-Germanic *hrōfą (“roof”). Cognate with Scots ruif (“roof, ceiling”), Dutch roef (“cabin on a boat”), Icelandic hróf (“shed”), Irish cró (“pen, barn, cabin… The correct English form is roof, spelled R-O-O-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    The external covering at the top of a building.
  2. 2
    The top external level of a building.
  3. 3
    The upper part of a cavity.
  4. 4
    The surface or bed of rock immediately overlying a bed of coal or a flat vein.
  5. 5
    An overhanging rock wall.
  6. 6
    A hat.

Etymology

From Middle English rof, from Old English hrōf (“roof, ceiling; top, summit; heaven, sky”), from Proto-Germanic *hrōfą (“roof”). Cognate with Scots ruif (“roof, ceiling”), Dutch roef (“cabin on a boat”), Icelandic hróf (“shed”), Irish cró (“pen, barn, cabin”), Proto-Slavic *stropъ (“roof, ceiling”). Compare Faroese rógv (“something high up”).

Synonyms

rooftoptectthatchceiling

This word in other languages

tejado(Español)toit(Français)Dach(Deutsch)telhado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: orof,rof,rofo,rooff,rroof

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

orof2rof1rofo2rooff1rroof1
Edit distance from "roof"

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 "roof"?
"roof" is spelled R-O-O-F. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹuːf/.
What does "roof" mean?
As a noun, "roof" means: The external covering at the top of a building.
What words are commonly confused with "roof"?
"roof" is commonly confused with "row", "Roy", "rot". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "roof"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "roof" is /ɹuːf/. 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 "roof"?
From Middle English rof, from Old English hrōf (“roof, ceiling; top, summit; heaven, sky”), from Proto-Germanic *hrōfą (“roof”). Cognate with Scots ruif (“roof, ceiling”), Dutch roef (“cabin on a boat”), Icelandic hróf (“shed”), Irish cró (“pen, b... 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 “roof”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-O-O-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɹuːf/ (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. roof 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