retraite

\ʁə.tʁɛt\

/\ʁə.tʁɛt\/ noun

The verdict

“retraite” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,343 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,343
frequency rank, French
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Action de se retirer.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

retraite vs retraits
88% similar
retraite vs retraités
78% similar
retraite vs retraitée
89% similar

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

Key facts for retraite
PropertyValue
Headwordretraite
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ʁə.tʁɛt\
Letters8
Frequency rank#1,343
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “retraite” sits in French 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). retraite 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 French entry for retraite is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ʁə.tʁɛt\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,343 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for retraite, with forms such as "ertraite", "rertaite", and "retarite". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "retraits", "retraités", "retraitée", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is retraite, spelled R-E-T-R-A-I-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Action de se retirer.
  2. 2
    Marche que fait une armée pour s’éloigner de l’ennemi après un combat désavantageux, ou pour abandonner un territoire où elle ne peut plus se maintenir.
  3. 3
    Obligation où sont les soldats de se retirer à une certaine heure et le signal qu’on leur donne en conséquence.
  4. 4
    Action de se retirer du monde, des affaires.
  5. 5
    Période de la vie d’un salarié, après s’être retiré de la vie active, tout en continuant de toucher régulièrement une somme d’argent à titre de pension.
  6. 6
    Le système de retraite, son financement.
  7. 7
    Cette pension perçue ; son montant.
  8. 8
    État d’une personne retirée des affaires, éloignée du tumulte de la société.
  9. 9
    Éloignement où l’on se tient du commerce du monde pendant quelques jours, pour mieux se recueillir, et des exercices de piété que l’on pratique durant ce temps.
  10. 10
    Lieu même où l’on se retire.
  11. 11
    Lieu de refuge.
  12. 12
    Diminution progressive d’épaisseur qu’on donne à un mur en partant du pied; état de ce qui est en arrière d’un alignement.
  13. 13
    Retrait, diminution de volume.
  14. 14
    Blessure causée par un clou dans le tissu vivant du pied d’un cheval.
  15. 15
    Ellipse de retraite aux flambeaux.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ertraite,rertaite,retarite,retraiet,retraitte,retratie,retriate,retrraite,rettraite,rretraite,rteraite

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ertraite2rertaite2retarite2retraiet2retraitte1retratie2retriate2retrraite1
Edit distance from "retraite"

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "retraite"?
"retraite" is spelled R-E-T-R-A-I-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ʁə.tʁɛt\.
What does "retraite" mean?
As a noun, "retraite" means: Action de se retirer.
What words are commonly confused with "retraite"?
"retraite" is commonly confused with "retraits", "retraités", "retraitée". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "retraite"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "retraite" is \ʁə.tʁɛt\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "retraite" come from?
"retraite" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “retraite”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is R-E-T-R-A-I-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ʁə.tʁɛt\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “retraits” - see the side-by-side comparison. retraite vs retraits
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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