Did you have a reocurring or a reccurring dream? If the difference between these two words is befuddling, this post is for you.
How to use recurring vs. reoccurring
Recurring and reoccurring are present participle forms of the verbs recur and reoccur. The two words are synonyms and are close in meaning.
She experienced a recurring headache every month.
Preventing the error from reoccurring was our top priority.
His reccurring cough was a sign of illness.
The same problem keeps reoccur in the exam.
The difference is that when something is recurring, it happens regularly, or at regular intervals.
Something reoccurring, on the other hand, may have happened one or more times in the past or present, but it does not imply the same persistence or frequency. In practice, they can be used interchangeably.
“Recurring” / “reoccurring”, used in sentences
| Examples: “recurring”, used in sentences |
|---|
| This conversation’s beginning to resemble one of those old-fashioned ballads with a recurring chorus.
She sits here every day after coming home from Luke’s, like déjà vu or a recurring dream. Scarlett Thomas GOING OUT (2002) There is only a slight chance that the disease will recur. The same problem keeps recurring. |
| Examples: “reoccurring”, used in sentences |
|---|
| As with the most successful podcasts, there were reoccurring themes and story arcs. Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The defense team took measures to prevent such accidents from reoccurring. The arthritis attacks are sudden and temporary. While they sometimes reoccur, they do not seem to leave permanent damage.—U.S. News & World Report The multinational firm has been under scrutiny ever since to ensure such incidents don’t reoccur.—Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 31 May 2023 |
“recurring” vs. “reoccurring,” associate “recurring” with “regular” events (it happens regularly), and remember that “reoccurring” is less common and usually follows prepositions (like “preventing the error from reoccurring”).
Recurring/reoccurring, synonyms
- persist
- reappear
- iterate
- recrudesce
- reiterate
- repeat
- return
- revert
Word origin (of recurring/reoccurring)
Late 14c., recuren, “to recover from illness or suffering” (a sense now obsolete); mid-15c., “to return” (to or into a place), from Latin recurrere “to return, run back, hasten back,” figuratively “revert, recur“.
Read about other misused words
| Commonly misused words | UK English vs. US English |
|---|---|
| former vs. latter | burned or burnt? |
| bear with vs. bare with | color or colour? |
| breathe or breath | favorite vs. favourite |
| compliment vs. complement | smelled or smelt? |
| effect vs. affect | gray or grey? |
| elude or allude | favor vs. favour |
| it’s or its | analyze or analyse? |
Work Sheet
According to the post, what does the word ‘recurring’ primarily imply?
Which of these spellings is identified as incorrect in the post?
Are ‘recurring’ and ‘reoccurring’ considered synonyms according to the blog post?
The post suggests that ‘reoccurring’ often follows which part of speech?
According to the post, how interchangeable are ‘recurring’ and ‘reoccurring’ in practice?
She experienced a ____ headache every month.
Preventing the error from ____ was our top priority.
The same problem keeps ____ in the test results.
While the attacks sometimes ____, they do not seem to leave permanent damage.
Associate ‘recurring’ with ____ events (it happens regularly).
Frequently Asked Questions
Are recurring and reoccurring the same?
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What’s the main difference in meaning?
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Can you use recurring and reoccurring interchangeably?
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What’s a common spelling mistake?
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How are recurring & reoccurring used in sentences?
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Yash, D. "Recurring vs. Reoccurring (Correct Usage, + Examples)." Grammarflex, Jun 6, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/recurring-vs-reoccurring-correct-usage-examples/.
Sources
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Oxford Learner’s Dictionary on “recurring” and “reoccurring”. Accessed 13 April, 2024. Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of well.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/recurring. Accessed 13 April 2024.
