Rite

How to spell rite

4 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce rite

What does rite mean?

1. nounA formal act or ceremony, especially a religious or solemn one performed according to fixed custom.

Rite in a sentence

• The ancient rite lasted nearly an hour at the temple.

• Baptism is a sacred rite observed in many churches.

Where does rite come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin ritus, which meant a prescribed religious observance, a custom, or the proper way of performing a ceremony. The Romans used it for the fixed forms that had to be followed exactly in worship, and from that idea of correct procedure it is probably related to a much older Indo-European root suggesting 'fitting' or 'flowing in the right order'. English borrowed it in the late 1300s, originally in church contexts to describe the formal acts of religious worship. Although it sounds exactly like 'right', 'write', and 'wright', it kept its own slim spelling straight from the Latin form, which is why the silent connection to ceremony is your best memory hook: a rite is a ritual, and both words share the same ritus root. Keeping that link in mind helps separate it from its three noisy homophones.

How the word is built

• rite (whole-word root, from Latin ritus: a religious custom or ceremony)

Words that sound like rite

They sound the same but mean different things, so the meaning decides which spelling to write.

• right: Correct or true; the side or direction opposite to left; a moral or legal entitlement.
• wright: A person who builds, makes, or repairs something, especially as a skilled tradesperson.
• write: To form letters, words, or text on a surface, or to compose a piece of writing.