roost

/ɹuːst/

//ɹuːst// noun

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

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

The verdict

“roost” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,070 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#29,070
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The place where a bird sleeps (usually its nest or a branch).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

roost vs rot
60% similar
roost vs ROS
0% similar
roost vs rose
60% similar

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

Key facts for roost
PropertyValue
Headwordroost
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹuːst/
Letters5
Frequency rank#29,070
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “roost” 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). roost 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 roost is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹuːst/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,070 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for roost, with forms such as "orost", "roosst", and "roostt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "rot", "ROS", "rose", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English roste (“chicken's roost; perch”), from Old English hrōst (“wooden framework of a roof; roost”), from Proto-West Germanic *hrōst, from Proto-Germanic *hrōstaz (“wooden framework; grill”); see *raustijan. Cognate with Dutch roest (“roost”)… The correct English form is roost, spelled R-O-O-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The place where a bird sleeps (usually its nest or a branch).
  2. 2
    A group of birds roosting together.
  3. 3
    A bedroom.
  4. 4
    The open cross-joists or inner roof of a cottage or living space.
  5. 5
    A kick which causes the ball to travel a long distance.
  6. 6
    Synonym of perch (“a position that is secure and advantageous”).

Etymology

From Middle English roste (“chicken's roost; perch”), from Old English hrōst (“wooden framework of a roof; roost”), from Proto-West Germanic *hrōst, from Proto-Germanic *hrōstaz (“wooden framework; grill”); see *raustijan. Cognate with Dutch roest (“roost”), German Low German Rust (“roost”), German Rost (“grate; gridiron; grill”).

This word in other languages

gallinero(Español)Nest(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: orost,roosst,roostt,rosot,rost,rroost

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

orost2roosst1roostt1rosot2rost1rroost1
Edit distance from "roost"

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 "roost"?
"roost" is spelled R-O-O-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹuːst/.
What does "roost" mean?
As a noun, "roost" means: The place where a bird sleeps (usually its nest or a branch).
What words are commonly confused with "roost"?
"roost" is commonly confused with "rot", "ROS", "rose". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "roost"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "roost" is /ɹuːst/. 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 "roost"?
From Middle English roste (“chicken's roost; perch”), from Old English hrōst (“wooden framework of a roof; roost”), from Proto-West Germanic *hrōst, from Proto-Germanic *hrōstaz (“wooden framework; grill”); see *raustijan. Cognate with Dutch roest... 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 “roost”

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

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