roulette

/ɹuːˈlɛt/

//ɹuːˈlɛt// noun

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

"roulette" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“roulette” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,467 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#17,467
frequency rank, English
8
letters
9
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A game of chance in which a small ball is made to move round rapidly on a circle divided off into numbered (usually red and black) spaces. When the ball stops, it indicates the result of a variety ...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

roulette vs rosette
75% similar

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

Key facts for roulette
PropertyValue
Headwordroulette
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹuːˈlɛt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#17,467
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “roulette” 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). roulette 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 roulette is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹuːˈlɛt/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,467 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for roulette, with forms such as "orulette", "roluette", and "roueltte". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "rosette", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French roulette (“roulette, little wheel”). The sense "situation with a random chance of incurring serious harm" may be abstracted from Russian roulette. The correct English form is roulette, spelled R-O-U-L-E-T-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A game of chance in which a small ball is made to move round rapidly on a circle divided off into numbered (usually red and black) spaces. When the ball stops, it indicates the result of a variety of wagers permitted by the game.
  2. 2
    An instance of risk-taking, especially when the downside exceeds the upside (contrary to the game of roulette where only the wager is lost).
  3. 3
    A small toothed wheel used by engravers to roll over a plate in order to produce rows of dots.
  4. 4
    A similar wheel used to roughen the surface of a plate, as in making alterations in a mezzotint.
  5. 5
    The locus of a point on a plane curve that rolls without slipping along another fixed plane curve.
  6. 6
    Any of the small incisions on a sheet of stamps, used as an alternative to perforations.
  7. 7
    A cylindrical curler for the hair.

Etymology

Borrowed from French roulette (“roulette, little wheel”). The sense "situation with a random chance of incurring serious harm" may be abstracted from Russian roulette.

This word in other languages

ruleta(Español)roulette(Français)Roulette(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: orulette,roluette,roueltte,roulete,rouletet,roullette,roultete,rroulette,ruolette

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of roulette - 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.

orulette2roluette2roueltte2roulete1rouletet2roullette1roultete2rroulette1
Edit distance from "roulette"

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 "roulette"?
"roulette" is spelled R-O-U-L-E-T-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹuːˈlɛt/.
What does "roulette" mean?
As a noun, "roulette" means: A game of chance in which a small ball is made to move round rapidly on a circle divided off into numbered (usually red and black) spaces. When the ball stops, it indicates the result of a variety ...
What words are commonly confused with "roulette"?
"roulette" is commonly confused with "rosette". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "roulette"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "roulette" is /ɹuːˈlɛt/. 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 "roulette"?
Borrowed from French roulette (“roulette, little wheel”). The sense "situation with a random chance of incurring serious harm" may be abstracted from Russian roulette. 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 “roulette”

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

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