rubric

/ˈɹuːbɹɪk/

//ˈɹuːbɹɪk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“rubric” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #39,541 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#39,541
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A heading in a book highlighted in red.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

rubric vs rustic
67% similar
rubric vs Rubio
50% similar
rubric vs Rubin
50% similar

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

Key facts for rubric
PropertyValue
Headwordrubric
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹuːbɹɪk/
Letters6
Frequency rank#39,541
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rubric” 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). rubric 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 rubric is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɹuːbɹɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #39,541 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 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 rubric, with forms such as "rburic", "rrubric", and "rubbric". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "rustic", "Rubio", "Rubin", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English rubriche, rubrike, from Old French rubrique, from Latin rūbrīca (“red ochre”), the substance used to make red letters, from ruber (“red”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ-. The correct English form is rubric, spelled R-U-B-R-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    A heading in a book highlighted in red.
  2. 2
    A title of a category or a class.
  3. 3
    The directions for a religious service, formerly printed in red letters.
  4. 4
    An established rule or custom; a guideline.
  5. 5
    A statement of intent.
  6. 6
    A set of explanatory notes or rules at the beginning of an exam paper, usually typographically distinct from the rest of the paper.
  7. 7
    A set of scoring criteria for evaluating student work and for giving feedback.
  8. 8
    A flourish after a signature.
  9. 9
    Red ochre.

Etymology

From Middle English rubriche, rubrike, from Old French rubrique, from Latin rūbrīca (“red ochre”), the substance used to make red letters, from ruber (“red”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ-.

Synonyms

paraph

This word in other languages

rúbrica(Español)rubrique(Français)Rubrik(Deutsch)rubrica(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rburic,rrubric,rubbric,rubirc,rubrci,rubricc,rubrric,rurbic,urbric

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rburic2rrubric1rubbric1rubirc2rubrci2rubricc1rubrric1rurbic2
Edit distance from "rubric"

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 "rubric"?
"rubric" is spelled R-U-B-R-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹuːbɹɪk/.
What does "rubric" mean?
As a noun, "rubric" means: A heading in a book highlighted in red.
What words are commonly confused with "rubric"?
"rubric" is commonly confused with "rustic", "Rubio", "Rubin". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rubric"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rubric" is /ˈɹuːbɹɪk/. 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 "rubric"?
From Middle English rubriche, rubrike, from Old French rubrique, from Latin rūbrīca (“red ochre”), the substance used to make red letters, from ruber (“red”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ-. 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 “rubric”

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

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