rudder

/ˈɹʌdə(ɹ)/

//ˈɹʌdə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“rudder” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,495. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,495
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An underwater vane used to steer a vessel. The rudder is controlled by means of a wheel, tiller or other apparatus (modern vessels can be controlled even with a joystick or an autopilot).

Corpus desk

Index EN-rudder · rudder · English

rudder · rank #22,495 · 7 variants · 17 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,495
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 17 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH Rohan

Nearest frequency peer: Rohan (-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 “rudder”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “rudder” 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).

rudder vs rude
67% similar
rudder vs ruler
67% similar
rudder vs ryder
67% similar

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

Key facts for rudder
PropertyValue
Headwordrudder
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹʌdə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#22,495
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “rudder”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Rohan” (#22,494), “rodent” (#22,493), “rung” (#22,497). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “rudder” is #22,495. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around rudder (IPA /ˈɹʌdə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #22,495 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for rudder, with forms such as "rduder", "rrudder", and "rudderr". 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 17 confusable-pair relationships, "rude", "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 rodder, rother, ruder, from Old English rōþor (“oar, rudder”), from Proto-West Germanic *rōþr, from Proto-Germanic *rōþrą (“oar, rudder”) (compare Dutch and West Frisian roer, German Ruder), from Proto-Germanic *rōaną, from Proto-Indo-Eu… The correct English form is rudder, spelled R-U-D-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    An underwater vane used to steer a vessel. The rudder is controlled by means of a wheel, tiller or other apparatus (modern vessels can be controlled even with a joystick or an autopilot).
  2. 2
    A control surface on the vertical stabilizer of a fixed-wing aircraft or an autogyro. On some craft, the entire vertical stabilizer comprises the rudder. The rudder is controlled by foot-operated control pedals.
  3. 3
    A riddle or sieve.
  4. 4
    That which resembles a rudder as a guide or governor; that which guides or governs the course.
  5. 5
    The tail of an otter.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. For rhyme the rudder is of verses,/With which, like ships, they steer their courses.
  2. He sniffed Tarka’s hair from rudder to neck, and his nose remained at the neck. It was a strange smell, and he sniffed carefully, not wanting to touch the fur with his nostrils.

Etymology

From Middle English rodder, rother, ruder, from Old English rōþor (“oar, rudder”), from Proto-West Germanic *rōþr, from Proto-Germanic *rōþrą (“oar, rudder”) (compare Dutch and West Frisian roer, German Ruder), from Proto-Germanic *rōaną, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁- (“to row”) + Proto-Germanic *-þrą, *-þraz, instrumental suffix. Akin to Old English rōwan (“to row”). More at rōwan, -þor.

This word in other languages

timón(Español)gouvernail(Français)Ruder(Deutsch)leme(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rduder
  • rrudder
  • rudderr
  • ruddre
  • rudedr
  • ruder
  • urdder

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rduder2rrudder1rudderr1ruddre2rudedr2ruder1urdder2
Edit distance from "rudder"

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 "rudder"?
"rudder" is spelled R-U-D-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹʌdə(ɹ)/.
What does "rudder" mean?
As a noun, "rudder" means: An underwater vane used to steer a vessel. The rudder is controlled by means of a wheel, tiller or other apparatus (modern vessels can be controlled even with a joystick or an autopilot).
What words are commonly confused with "rudder"?
"rudder" is commonly confused with "rude", "ruler", "ryder". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rudder"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rudder" is /ˈɹʌdə(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 "rudder"?
From Middle English rodder, rother, ruder, from Old English rōþor (“oar, rudder”), from Proto-West Germanic *rōþr, from Proto-Germanic *rōþrą (“oar, rudder”) (compare Dutch and West Frisian roer, German Ruder), from Proto-Germanic *rōaną, from Pro... 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 "rudder", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

rodent#22,493revamp#22,491seaman#22,501sizing#22,506

Similar misspelling depth

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

Rohan7 variantssalah7 variantsrepel7 variantsRegis7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list