rétrograde
\ʁe.tʁɔ.ɡʁad\
The verdict
“rétrograde” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #24,023 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #24,023
- frequency rank, French
- 10
- letters
- 16
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Qui va, qui se fait en arrière.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | rétrograde |
| Language | French |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | \ʁe.tʁɔ.ɡʁad\ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #24,023 |
| Misspellings tracked | 16 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “rétrograde” sits in French frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The French entry for rétrograde is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ʁe.tʁɔ.ɡʁad\. Corpus data places it at rank #24,023 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for rétrograde, with forms such as "retrograde", "rrétrograde", and "rtérograde". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is rétrograde, spelled R-É-T-R-O-G-R-A-D-E.
Definition
- 1Qui va, qui se fait en arrière.
- 2Qualifie les corps célestes, lorsqu’ils paraissent aller en sens inverse des signes du zodiaque.
- 3Qualifie des hommes, partis, ou pouvoirs qui cherchent à revenir en arrière, à rétablir des institutions que l’on considère comme surannées.
Antonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: retrograde,rrétrograde,rtérograde,rértograde,rétorgrade,rétrgorade,rétrogarde,rétroggrade,rétrogradde,rétrograed,rétrogrdae,rétrogrrade,rétrorgade,rétrrograde,réttrograde,értrograde
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rétrograde - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "rétrograde"?
What does "rétrograde" mean?
What are common misspellings of "rétrograde"?
How do you pronounce "rétrograde"?
What language does "rétrograde" come from?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “rétrograde”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct French spelling is R-É-T-R-O-G-R-A-D-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as \ʁe.tʁɔ.ɡʁad\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.