rather

/ˈɹɑː.ðə/

//ˈɹɑː.ðə// adv

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

The verdict

“rather” is uncommon Spanish (frequency #61,870 among 48,955 “R” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#61,870
frequency rank, Spanish
48,955
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Bastante.

Key facts for rather
PropertyValue
Headwordrather
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈɹɑː.ðə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#61,870
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rather” sits in Spanish 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). rather lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

rather is uncommon Spanish at frequency #61,870 among 48,955 “R” headwords, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˈɹɑː.ðə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for rather in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular Spanish conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Spanish form is rather, spelled R-A-T-H-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Bastante.
  2. 2
    Más bien.
  3. 3
    Un tanto, un poco, algo.
  4. 4
    Antes que, mejor que.
  5. 5
    Más bien, para ser más precisos.

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 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "rather"?
"rather" is spelled R-A-T-H-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɑː.ðə/.
What does "rather" mean?
As an adverb, "rather" means: Bastante.
How do you pronounce "rather"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rather" is /ˈɹɑː.ðə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "rather" come from?
"rather" is a Spanish word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “rather”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is R-A-T-H-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹɑː.ðə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words

Other uncommon Spanish words near this rank

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