reign and rein are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. reign means “a period during which something or somebody is dominant or powerful”. rein means “control and direct with or as if by reins”. reign is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈɹeɪn/
1.n.a period during which something or somebody is dominant or powerful
“he was helpless under the reign of his egotism”
2.n.the period during which a monarch is sovereign
“during the reign of Henry VIII”
3.n.royal authority; the dominion of a monarch
/ˈɹeɪn/
| reign | rein | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹeɪn/ | /ˈɹeɪn/ |
| Said | rayn | rayn |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 5 | 6 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | none recorded | harness, rein in, draw rein |
Full entry for reign · Full entry for rein · More comparisons
1.v.control and direct with or as if by reins
“rein a horse”
2.v.stop or slow up one's horse or oneself by or as if by pulling the reins
“They reined in in front of the post office”
3.v.stop or check by or as if by a pull at the reins
“He reined in his horses in front of the post office”