English spellings/Catalogs/R

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Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list
Common misspellings

This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with R. To see a different letter navigate with the table above. The apostrophe is treated as the last letter of the alphabet, after Z.

For a pronunciation key, click on the blue "Catalogs" link below the article title.^[e]

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R = àre be

rábbî

rábbit rhymes with hábit

rábble makes a minimal pair with rébel

râbid (AmE can be á)

râbies

Râchel = Râchael

racoôn or raccoôn

râcehorse one word

râcing (although some non-anglophone football clubs are called Rácing)

râcism *râyssizm, cf. fáscism *fáshizm

ráck frame, stretch = wráck pain

rácket corruption, noise, sport = rácquet sport (obsolescent)

râdàr cf. râider (minimal pair)

râdìî

râdius

ragoût *rágôo

râid

râin water = rèign monarch = rèin horse = Râyne person

râiny rain = Râney person

râise up = râze ground

râisin -zən

râison d’étre may have French accent: raison d´être

Râith Rovers = wrâith ghost

Ráleigh person = rálly meeting, except...

Råleigh North Carolina, Sir Walter = Råwley

Rálph *Rálf mostly, but some are *Râfe (e.g. Ralph Vaughan Williams, *Râfe Våwn Wílyəmz)

rámpâge noun, verb

Rámsey Isle of Man, Lewis = Rámsay MacDonald *Rámzì

ráncour *rángkə BrE; AmE ráncor *rángkər

rânge

Rangoôn = ráng goôn

ránkle cf. wrínkle

ránsom money = Ránsome person

Raoûl = Raûl Rà-

rappróchement *rápróshmón

rápt entranced = wrápped parcel = rápped rap

Ráqqa

rárebit Welsh

rāspberry -spb- or -zb-

Rastafãrian

râtio *râyshôw

rátion makes a rhyming minimal pair with fáshion, though some AmE-speakers rhyme it with nâtion

rátional adjective rásh-

rationàle noun -sh-

ráttlesnake one word

råucous rhymes with cåucus

râven bird

rávening greedy

ravìne

Råwalpíndi

rây light, fish = Rây = Râe = Wrây persons

râzor rhymes with lâser

rê concerning = rê- again prefix: in more common words, where there is no sense of again, rê- sounds like rí-: compare revêal (rí-) and redêal (rê-)

reáct - rê-

rêad writing = rêed plant = Rêed = Rêid = Rêad persons

réad past, past participle = réd colour; cf. lêad present, léd past, past participle

Réading England = Rédding person, cf. rêading read

Reâgan Ronald, cf. Rêgan Lear, Mégan

rêal genuine = rêel rotate

reálity - rê-

réalm

Reál Madríd *Rèy-ál Mədríd

reálpolitìk

rêalty

rêam

rêbate

Rebécca = Rebékah

rébel noun *rébble, rhymes with pébble, cf. rábble

rebél verb

rebûke

recálibrate

réccê *récky

recêde back *rísêed ≈ resêed plant, rê-

recêipt money -cêet, cf. concêit, decêit

recêive

rêcent lately cf. resént disapprove *rizént

rêcess, recéss

recídivist

récipê food

recíprocal

réckless, cf. wréck

réckon

récognise - g can be silent

recomménd, ré-

réconcîle

reconciliâtion

recónnaíssance *recónissənss

récord noun; recŏrd verb

rê-creâte again *rêcrê-âte

recreâtion fun, sport *récrê-âtion

rê-creâtion again *rêcrê-âtion

recrûit redundant i

recür

recürred, recúrrence, recúrrent, recúrring - rr

réd colour = réad book

redo *redoô

rédolent

redòne

rêed water = rêad book = Rêed = Rêad = Rêid persons

rêek smell = wrêak havoc

rêel round = rêal genuine

rê-énergise - rê- hyphenated before é

rê-éntry - rê- hyphenated before é

Rêes = Rhỳs = Rêece = Rêese

refër

referêe

réference (all four vowel-letters are es)

referénda plural

referéndum singular

refërred

refërring

refléct

refléction in BrE can be refléxion

rêflex

refŏrm improve, cf. rê-fŏrm again

refrígerator, cf. frídge, adding d to avoid "frîge"

réfuge

refugêe, cf. éffigy

refûse no! -z

réfuse rubbish -ss

Rég Reginald *Rédge, rhyming with hédge

Rêgan Lear cf. Reâgan Ronald, Mégan

réggâe *réggay

regìme *râizhìme

rêgion

régister

rehëarse

Rêid person = rêad write = rêed water = Rêed person

Reîgate

rèign monarch = râin wet = rèin horse, in

reignîte rêeíg-

Reîlly Tommy = Rîley Terry

reimbürse rêeím-

rèin horse, as in frêe rèin (= rèign monarch = râin down)

Reînce Priêbus

reinfŏrce rêeín-, cf. enfŏrce

reintërpret rêeín-

reíterate: *rêe-ítərâte; not -tt-

rêjéct noun

rejéct verb

rejûvenate

relêase cf. rêalîse

rélevant

relìêf *relêaf

relìêve *relêave

rê-líve

relŷ

remâin

rêmatch

Rémbrandt

remémber

remémbrance

remînd

Rémington

reminíscent -ssənt

renâissànce BrE, AmE rénaissànce

Rénault ™ *Rénnô

rendezvous *róndâyvoô (as a verb, regular: rendezvoused *róndayvoôd, etc.)

Renèe = Renây

Rênêe (from Irênê *Î-rêeny)

renège or renègue *rənâyg

Rêno

renòunce

réntal rent = Réntoul

rentier *róntiây

renunciâtion (nún, not nòun)

repâid

repâint

repãir makes a minimal pair with prepãre

repartêe

repây

repâyment

repéllent

repéntant

rêpercússions

répertoire *répertwàr

répertory

repetítion

repétitive

rêplay noun

replây verb

replŷ

réprimand

represént portray, substitute, ré-, cf. rê-presént again

represéntative

reprîsal

reprìse

repúblic

repúblican

rê-publicâtion republish is best hyphenated to avoid confusion with repúblic

Repùblika Srpska *Sërpska

réputable

repûte

réquiém *réquì-ém

réscue

resëarch BrE; AmE rêsëarch

resémble *rizémble

resént *rizént dislike cf. rê-sént re-send, rêcent lately

resërve

réservoir *rézərvwàr

rêshuffle noun

reshúffle verb

resîgn leave *rizîne, cf. rê-sîgn again *rê-sîne

resignâtion rézíg-

resíst -zí-

resístance -zí-

resít rê-

resôlve *rízólve

resŏurce BrE; AmE rêsource; some say *rezŏurce

réspiratory or respíratory

réspîte BrE; AmE réspíte

respónsible ("responsable" is the French spelling)

réstaurant *réstrónt; though some, French-style, do not pronounce the final t, while restauratëur can lose the n

restrâint noun, cf. restrâined

resúlt *rizúlt

resûme again *ríz-yoôm

résumè AmE CV: may be written résumé or resumé to distinguish it from resûme (BrE CV is shorter to say and write)

resurréction réz-

resúscitate

rêtail

retàrd verb, rêtard person

rétch vomit = wrétch poor

rethínk

rétina

rétinue

reûnion meeting = Reûnion island

revêal

reveillê *reválly

rével cf. revêal

revelâtion, cf. revolûtion

revêre

réverence

revieŵ re-examine, newspaper = revûe show

revîle

revísit

revôke cf. irrévocable

rewård

rêwrite noun, rewrîte verb (no hyphen)

Rèykjavik *Râykyavik or Rék-

Réynolds

rhápsody -ədy

rhêa bird = Rhêa Saturn

rhétoric

rhetórical

Rhîne

rhînô, abbreviation of rhinóceros

rhô Greek = rôw line = rôe fish

Rhôde Island = rôad street = rôwed boat

Rhôdes Greece, Cecil = rôads streets

Rhodêsia -êezha

rhododéndron rô-

rhŷme

rhýthm *rídhəm (rhýthms is the longest word without a, e, i, o or u)

rhýthmic *rídhmic

Rhỳs = Reês = Reêse = Reêce, cf. Rîce = rîce

ríbald *ríbbled, *ríbəld

ríbbon -bən makes a minimal pair with its less common form ríband

Ríchard

Ríchie = Ríchey = Rítchie, the first the most common as a given name, the last as a surname

Rícky

rícochèt BrE *rícoshay, AmE *ricoshây, inflected forms in silent -t- or, for the verb, -tt-

rídge cf. rígíd, both ríj-

rídicule

ridículous *ridíkyələss

rîght side, correct = wrîte read = rîte ritual = wrîght artesan = Wrîght person

rígíd *ríjid, cf. rídge *ríj

rígorous

Rîley = Reîlly

ríll stream = Rhýl

rîme frost; also rare alternative, more regular, spelling of rhŷme

ríng round, noise = wríng neck

Rìo de Janêíro is the traditional English pronunciation; there seems little point in trying to approximate to the local one, roughly 'Hìu ji Zhanâyru'

Rìordan = Rêardon

rîse up -z, cf. rîce eat -s

rísible; some say rîsible

rísky

rísquè can have French accent: risqué *rískây, *rêeskây

rîte ritual = wrîte read = rîght side, correct = wrîght artesan

ríven

ríver

riviéra

Rìyadh: dh as the voiced sound of th, as in thís

rôach = Rôach = Rôche Tony

rôad street = rôde ride

Roàld Dàhl, often mispronounced "Rôald"

rôam wander = Rôme city

rôan horse, cf. rôwan tree

rób steal = Rób Robert

róbber

róbbery

Róbert

róbin bird = Róbin = Róbyn persons

rôbót

Rockåll

róck and rôll or róck'n'rôll

rôde ridden = rôad drive

rôdêo, rodèo

rôe fish = rôw line, in a = rhô Greek, cf. ròw argue

Rôe v. Wâde *rovy-wâde

Róger

Rógers = Ródgers

Rôh Moô-hyún (Rôh = nô not, Korean: 노, which is indeed more often transcribed as 'no')

Rohíngya *Rohínja

rǒil muddy = rǒyal queen

Rôland cf. Rónald

rôle part, model (can have identical French accent: rôle) = rôll round, bread, call

Róllins

Rôma Gipsy (this is also the name of Rôme in Italian)

Rôman city, person

románce romantic = Románce language

România Rə-; Ru- spelling obsolete, though Rû- pronunciation still sometimes heard, as with Rô-

romántic

Rômany, Rômani

roôd crucifix, measure = rûde coarse

roôfs roof *roôves, rhymes with hoôves hoof

roôm

Rôosevelt, first syllable = rôse

roôt plant = BrE roûte journey

*roôves roôfs

Rŏrschàch *Rŏrschàk

Rós *Róz

Rósalínd, cf. Rósiland, 21st century US variant

rôse flower, rise = rôws boat, line = Rôse

rôsè wine can have French accent: rosé

Rôsemãry AmE; BrE a as schwa, cf. Mãry, = rôsemary shrub

Rôsensteîn Rod

rôse-tínted

Róss

rôsy red, good = Rôsie

rôte learning = wrôte write

Rótherham *Rótherum

rótten

Róttweîler -vyler or -wyler

roûè can have French accent: roué

roúgh violent = rúff cards, neck, bird, fish

ròughage *rúffage, *rúffij

ròund

ròuse rhymes with bròwse -z; cf. Ròuse = Ròwse -ss

ròut victory

roûte journey BrE = roôt plant; AmE ròute = ròut victory. Thus in BrE ròuting win and roûting direction are homographs with different pronunciations

roûx sauce = rûe regret

rôw boat, line = rôe fish = rhô Greek

ròw argument

Rôwling J.K. = rôlling

Ròwse = Ròuse -ss, cf. ròuse -z

rpm revolutions per minute *à(r)pê-ém, lower case, e.g. 45 rpm

rúbble wreck cf. AmE rûble BrE roûble money

rûbric

rúcksack

rûde impolite = roôd measure, cross

rúgby ûnion and rúgby lêague are not hyphenated (except on the BBC's ticker)

Rûi Lôpez or -eth

Ruîslip *Rŷslip

*Rumânia, old spelling of România

rúmpus

rúnaway person cf. rún awây action

rúng ladder, ring = wrúng wring

Rûpert

rûral

Rússell in most cases has two ls

Rússia *Rúsha

rústle noise = Rússell person

Rwánda Ruá-, cf. Rawalpíndi