rooster

/ˈɹuːstə/

//ˈɹuːstə// noun

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

"rooster" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“rooster” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,441. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,441
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A male domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) or other gallinaceous bird.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rooster · rooster · English

rooster · rank #19,441 · 9 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #19,441
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH routed

Nearest frequency peer: routed (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “rooster”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “rooster” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

rooster vs roster
86% similar
rooster vs rooted
71% similar
rooster vs router
71% similar

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

Key facts for rooster
PropertyValue
Headwordrooster
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹuːstə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#19,441
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rooster” 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). rooster lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around rooster (IPA /ˈɹuːstə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #19,441 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for rooster, with forms such as "oroster", "roosetr", and "roosster". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "roster", "rooted", "router", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From roost + -er. In the regions where it is used, displaced cock through taboo avoidance. Compare typologically Russian насе́дка (nasédka) (akin to наси́живать (nasíživatʹ), also akin to насе́ст (nasést)). The correct English form is rooster, spelled R-O-O-S-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A male domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) or other gallinaceous bird.
  2. 2
    A bird or bat which roosts or is roosting.
  3. 3
    An informer.
  4. 4
    A violent or disorderly person.
  5. 5
    A powerful, prideful, or pompous person.
  6. 6
    A man.
  7. 7
    A wild violet, when used in a children's game based on cockfighting.
  8. 8
    Legislation solely devised to benefit the legislators proposing it.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Their other dish […] contain'd a number of roast fowls—half a dozen, we suppose, & all roosters at this season no doubt.
  2. The produce of two hens and a cock, or rooster, as the Yankees term that bird.

Etymology

From roost + -er. In the regions where it is used, displaced cock through taboo avoidance. Compare typologically Russian насе́дка (nasédka) (akin to наси́живать (nasíživatʹ), also akin to насе́ст (nasést)).

Synonyms

cockinformantbrawlerimportant personcock of the walkcock of the roostman

This word in other languages

gallo(Español)coq(Français)Hahn(Deutsch)galo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • oroster
  • roosetr
  • roosster
  • roosterr
  • roostre
  • roostter
  • rootser
  • rosoter
  • rrooster

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

oroster2roosetr2roosster1roosterr1roostre2roostter1rootser2rosoter2
Edit distance from "rooster"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "rooster"?
"rooster" is spelled R-O-O-S-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹuːstə/.
What does "rooster" mean?
As a noun, "rooster" means: A male domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) or other gallinaceous bird.
What words are commonly confused with "rooster"?
"rooster" is commonly confused with "roster", "rooted", "router". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rooster"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rooster" is /ˈɹuːstə/. 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 "rooster"?
From roost + -er. In the regions where it is used, displaced cock through taboo avoidance. Compare typologically Russian насе́дка (nasédka) (akin to наси́живать (nasíživatʹ), also akin to насе́ст (nasést)). 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 "rooster", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

quarrel#19,427Potomac#19,419perjury#19,415soprano#19,468

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

rushes9 variantsScooby9 variantsPutnam9 variantstanning9 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "rooster". Here's where to go from here.

  • "rooster" maps to 7 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "roster". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #19,441 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "R" letter cohort. R–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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