rouse

/ˈɹaʊz/

//ˈɹaʊz// noun

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

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

The verdict

“rouse” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,559. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,559
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An arousal.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rouse · rouse · English

rouse · rank #25,559 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,559
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rook

Nearest frequency peer: rook (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “rouse”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “rouse” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

rouse vs rue
60% similar
rouse vs Rus
40% similar
rouse vs rule
60% similar

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

Key facts for rouse
PropertyValue
Headwordrouse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹaʊz/
Letters5
Frequency rank#25,559
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “rouse”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).rouselands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “rook” (#25,558), “sabha” (#25,560), “roo” (#25,557). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “rouse” is #25,559. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around rouse (IPA /ˈɹaʊz/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #25,559 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for rouse, with forms such as "oruse", "rosue", and "roues". 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, "rue", "Rus", "rule", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English rousen, from Anglo-Norman reuser, ruser, originally used in English of hawks shaking the feathers of the body, from Latin recūsō, by loss of the medial 'c.' Doublet of recuse. Figurative meaning “to stir up, provoke to activity” is from … The correct English form is rouse, spelled R-O-U-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An arousal.
  2. 2
    The sounding of a bugle in the morning after reveille, to signal that soldiers are to rise from bed, often the rouse.

Etymology

From Middle English rousen, from Anglo-Norman reuser, ruser, originally used in English of hawks shaking the feathers of the body, from Latin recūsō, by loss of the medial 'c.' Doublet of recuse. Figurative meaning “to stir up, provoke to activity” is from 1580s; that of “awaken” is first recorded 1590s.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • oruse
  • rosue
  • roues
  • rousse
  • rrouse
  • ruose

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

oruse2rosue2roues2rousse1rrouse1ruose2
Edit distance from "rouse"

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 "rouse"?
"rouse" is spelled R-O-U-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹaʊz/.
What does "rouse" mean?
As a noun, "rouse" means: An arousal.
What words are commonly confused with "rouse"?
"rouse" is commonly confused with "rue", "Rus", "rule". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rouse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rouse" is /ˈɹaʊz/. 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 "rouse"?
From Middle English rousen, from Anglo-Norman reuser, ruser, originally used in English of hawks shaking the feathers of the body, from Latin recūsō, by loss of the medial 'c.' Doublet of recuse. Figurative meaning “to stir up, provoke to activity... 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 "rouse", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sabha#25,560scant#25,564sheik#25,572skunk#25,578

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

oiled6 variantsNord6 variantsNellie6 variantsVick6 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list