Retreive or retrieve?
Did you mean retrieve? Here's the right spelling and how to remember it.
Incorrect
retreive
Correct
retrieve
Correct spelling: retrieve. Misspelling: retreive.
letters the misspelling gets wrong or leaves out letters that shouldn't be there
Memory tip
I before E: re-TR-IE-ve.
Why people write “retreive”
The misspelling “retreive” is only one letter off: it writes EI instead of IE, the classic "i before e" trap.
Spell-checkers catch the mistake in a document, but not in a handwritten note, a text message or a word game. Writing the word out a few times while saying the tricky part aloud is the quickest way to make retrieve automatic.
Other misspellings of “retrieve”
People also write “retrive”. Here is where each one goes wrong.
“retrive”
Correct spelling: retrieve. Misspelling: retrive.
letters the misspelling gets wrong or leaves out letters that shouldn't be there
The misspelling “retrive” is only one letter off: it leaves out the E.
What does “retrieve” mean?
retrieve verb
- get or find back; recover the use of
“She regained control of herself”
- go for and bring back
“retrieve the car from the parking garage”
- run after, pick up, and bring to the master
“train the dog to retrieve”
- recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
“I can't remember saying any such thing”
Definitions from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Full dictionary entry
“Retrieve” in a sentence
- Teach the dog to retrieve the ball.
- She regained control of herself.
- Retrieve the car from the parking garage.
- Train the dog to retrieve.
Is “retrieve” a playable word?
11 points in Scrabble · 12 in Words With Friends
- Scrabble (US)
- Scrabble (UK)
- Words With Friends
“retreive” is not accepted in any of these games. See every word you can make from RETRIEVE.