Wretch and retch sound exactly the same, so it’s easy to mix them up in writing. They are different words with different jobs.
A wretch is a person. To retch is an action.
- Wretch (noun): a miserable or unfortunate person, or sometimes a despicable one.
- Retch (verb): to heave or gag as if you are going to vomit, often with little or nothing coming up.
Both are pronounced /rɛtʃ/ and rhyme with fetch. Because they are homophones, only the spelling and the sentence tell them apart.
Wretch: a miserable or despicable person
A wretch is someone in a sad, unlucky, or pitiable state. The word can also be an insult for someone you think is contemptible.
- The poor wretch stood in the rain with nowhere to go.
- “You wretch!” she cried when she saw the broken vase.
- He felt like a wretch for forgetting her birthday.
Which meaning you get depends on tone. Calling someone a “poor wretch” shows pity. Calling someone a “wretch” in anger shows disgust. Some people use it playfully, as in “You cheeky wretch.”
The plural is wretches.
Wretched: the related adjective
Wretched comes from wretch and means very unhappy, poor, or unpleasant. It is also used for things that are of very low quality.
- The family lived in wretched conditions.
- I had a wretched cold all week.
- The weather was wretched.
Wretched has two syllables: RETCH-id.
Retch: to gag or heave
To retch is to make the body movements of vomiting. The word often suggests that little or nothing comes up, though people sometimes use it loosely for actual vomiting.
- The smell made him retch.
- She retched into the sink, but nothing came up.
- The dog retched on the grass.
The verb forms are:
| Form | Example |
| retch | I always retch at the sight of blood. |
| retches | He retches whenever he smells it. |
| retched | She retched twice before she felt better. |
| retching | The retching woke everyone up. |
Retched is pronounced as one syllable: /rɛtʃt/, like fetched. That sets it apart from wretched, which has two.
A quick way to choose
Ask yourself what the word is doing in the sentence.
- If it names a person, use wretch.
- If it describes gagging or heaving, use retch.
You can also test it by swapping in a different word. If unfortunate soul or miserable person fits, you want wretch. If gag or heave fits, you want retch.
A small memory aid: wretch starts with a W, like woe. A wretch is often someone in woe. Retch is the shorter word, and it is the action.
Common mistakes
Writing “wretching” for gagging. Wretching is not a standard form of either word. Use retching.
- Wrong: The smell had him wretching.
- Correct: The smell had him retching.
Writing “retch” for a person. If you mean a miserable person, you need the w.
- Wrong: The poor retch had nothing left.
- Correct: The poor wretch had nothing left.
Mixing up the adjective and the verb form. Wretched (two syllables) describes something awful. Retched (one syllable) is the past tense of retch.
- The wretched smell made him feel sick.
- He retched at the smell.
Where the words come from
The two words have unrelated origins. Wretch comes from the Old English word wrecca, meaning an outcast or exile. That is why it still suggests someone cast out or in a sorry state. Retch comes from the Old English hrǣcan, meaning to cough up. The spellings ended up almost the same by chance, not because the words are related.
Quick summary
| Wretch | Retch | |
| Part of speech | Noun | Verb |
| Meaning | A miserable or despicable person | To gag or heave as if vomiting |
| Plural / third person | wretches | retches |
| Related forms | wretched (adjective) | retched, retching |
| Example | The poor wretch shivered in the cold. | The smell made her retch. |
Use wretch for a person in a sad or contemptible state, and retch for the gagging motion. Both sound the same, so check which one your sentence needs.
FAQ
Is “retch” the same as “vomit”?
Not quite. Retch describes the heaving or gagging motion, and nothing may come up. Vomit means that stomach contents actually come out.
Can “wretch” be a verb?
No. Wretch is a noun only. If you need a verb for heaving, use retch.
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