rotten

/ˈɹɒtn̩/

//ˈɹɒtn̩// adj

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

"rotten" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“rotten” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,531. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,531
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of perishable items, overridden with bacteria and other infectious agents.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rotten · rotten · English

rotten · rank #9,531 · 7 variants · 16 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,531
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 16 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH roommate

Nearest frequency peer: roommate (-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 “rotten”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “rotten” 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).

rotten vs route
67% similar
rotten vs Rouen
50% similar
rotten vs routes
67% similar

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

Key facts for rotten
PropertyValue
Headwordrotten
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɹɒtn̩/
Letters6
Frequency rank#9,531
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rotten” sits in English frequency

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).rottenlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “roommate” (#9,530), “sands” (#9,532), “Rodgers” (#9,529). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around rotten (IPA /ˈɹɒtn̩/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #9,531 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for rotten, with forms such as "ortten", "roten", and "rotetn". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "route", "Rouen", "routes", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English roten, from Old Norse rotinn (“decayed, rotten”), past participle of an unrecorded verb related to Old Norse rotna (“to rot”) and Old English rotian (“to rot”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rutāną (“to rot”). See rot. By surface analy… The correct English form is rotten, spelled R-O-T-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of perishable items, overridden with bacteria and other infectious agents.
  2. 2
    In a state of decay.
  3. 3
    Cruel, mean or immoral.
  4. 4
    Bad or terrible.
  5. 5
    Of stone or rock, crumbling or friable; in a loose or disintegrated state.
  6. 6
    Very drunk, intoxicated.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. If you leave a bin unattended for a few weeks, the rubbish inside will turn rotten.
  2. Antonio: Mark you this, Bassanio, / The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. / An evil soul producing holy witness / Is like a villain with a smiling cheek, / A goodly apple rotten at the heart. / O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!

Etymology

From Middle English roten, from Old Norse rotinn (“decayed, rotten”), past participle of an unrecorded verb related to Old Norse rotna (“to rot”) and Old English rotian (“to rot”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rutāną (“to rot”). See rot. By surface analysis, rot + -en (past participle).

Synonyms

badcariousgone badgone offmaggotedrottenspoiled

Antonyms

ediblefreshunspoiled

This word in other languages

podrido(Español)pourri(Français)faul(Deutsch)podre(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ortten
  • roten
  • rotetn
  • rottenn
  • rottne
  • rrotten
  • rtoten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rotten - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ortten2roten1rotetn2rottenn1rottne2rrotten1rtoten2
Edit distance from "rotten"

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 "rotten"?
"rotten" is spelled R-O-T-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɒtn̩/.
What does "rotten" mean?
As an adjective, "rotten" means: Of perishable items, overridden with bacteria and other infectious agents.
What words are commonly confused with "rotten"?
"rotten" is commonly confused with "route", "Rouen", "routes". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rotten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rotten" is /ˈɹɒtn̩/. 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 "rotten"?
From Middle English roten, from Old Norse rotinn (“decayed, rotten”), past participle of an unrecorded verb related to Old Norse rotna (“to rot”) and Old English rotian (“to rot”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rutāną (“to rot”). See rot. By sur... 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 "rotten", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ribbon#9,527suburb#9,547temper#9,551arrows#9,564

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

spoil7 variantspupil7 variantspromo7 variantsposed7 variants

What to do next

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

  • "rotten" maps to 16 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "route". View pair
  • 7 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #9,531 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