rower

/ˈɹəʊ.ə(ɹ)/

//ˈɹəʊ.ə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“rower” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,193. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,193
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who rows.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rower · rower · English

rower · rank #25,193 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,193
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rut

Nearest frequency peer: rut (+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 “rower”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “rower” 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).

rower vs rows
60% similar
rower vs ruler
60% similar
rower vs ryder
60% similar

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

Key facts for rower
PropertyValue
Headwordrower
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹəʊ.ə(ɹ)/
Letters5
Frequency rank#25,193
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “rower”

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).rowerlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “rut” (#25,194), “salaam” (#25,195), “Rochelle” (#25,190). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “rower” is #25,193. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around rower (IPA /ˈɹəʊ.ə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #25,193 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for rower, with forms such as "orwer", "roewr", and "rowerr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "rows", "ruler", "ryder", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English rower, rowere, roware, equivalent to row + -er. Cognate with Dutch roeier (“rower”), Danish roer (“rower”), Norwegian roer (“rower”). Compare also Old English rōwend (“rower”). The correct English form is rower, spelled R-O-W-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who rows.
  2. 2
    A rowing machine.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It had been a sort of race hitherto, and the rowers, with set teeth and compressed lips, had pulled stroke for stroke.
  2. Upon her deck were rowers with dream-made oars, and the rowers were the people of men’s fancies, and princes of old story and people who had died, and people who had never been.

Etymology

From Middle English rower, rowere, roware, equivalent to row + -er. Cognate with Dutch roeier (“rower”), Danish roer (“rower”), Norwegian roer (“rower”). Compare also Old English rōwend (“rower”).

This word in other languages

remero(Español)rameur(Français)Ruderer(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • orwer
  • roewr
  • rowerr
  • rowre
  • rowwer
  • rrower
  • rwoer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rower - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

orwer2roewr2rowerr1rowre2rowwer1rrower1rwoer2
Edit distance from "rower"

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 "rower"?
"rower" is spelled R-O-W-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹəʊ.ə(ɹ)/.
What does "rower" mean?
As a noun, "rower" means: One who rows.
What words are commonly confused with "rower"?
"rower" is commonly confused with "rows", "ruler", "ryder". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rower"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rower" is /ˈɹəʊ.ə(ɹ)/. 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 "rower"?
From Middle English rower, rowere, roware, equivalent to row + -er. Cognate with Dutch roeier (“rower”), Danish roer (“rower”), Norwegian roer (“rower”). Compare also Old English rōwend (“rower”). 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 "rower", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Rocco#25,189revel#25,187quill#25,182spire#25,217

Similar misspelling depth

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

salaam7 variantsspout7 variantsPavel7 variantspadre7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list