Rein vs reign
Rein comes from the straps a rider uses to control a horse, tightened or loosened: rein in costs, give someone free rein. Reign is about ruling as a king or queen, or being strongest somewhere: silence reigned.
Reign is spelled like sovereign, with the same silent g, and both are about royal rule.
rein noun
A strap used to guide and control a horse. As a verb, to rein in means to hold something back or keep it under control.
- She gathered up the reins and urged the mare into a trot.
- The new manager promised to rein in costs before the end of the year.
reign noun
The time during which a king or queen rules. As a verb, to rule as a king or queen, or to be the strongest feeling or quality in a place.
- Queen Victoria's reign spanned much of the nineteenth century.
- The old king reigned for more than forty years.
Watch out
- The two words sound exactly the same, so only the spelling tells them apart.
- Keeping a tight rein on something means keeping it under close control. It is about a horse's reins, not a king's reign.The board kept a tight rein on spending throughout the merger.
- Reign can also mean to hold a title as the current champion, most often in the phrase the reigning champion.She is the reigning world champion and will defend her title next month.
Test yourself
The government is trying to blank in rising prices.
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rein. Holding something back or keeping it under control is to rein it in.
During her long blank, the queen opened dozens of new schools.
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reign. The period a queen rules is her reign.
The rider pulled hard on the blanks to stop the horse.
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rein. The straps that control a horse are reins.
Silence blanked in the room after the bad news.
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reign. When a feeling or quality is strongest in a place, it reigns there.