Reign vs. Rein vs. Rain

Reign, rein, and rain sound identical, but their meanings are completely different. Knowing which one to use will help you avoid very common mistakes.

Reign

Reign refers to power, control, or the period when a ruler (king, queen, leader) is in charge.

• The queen’s reign lasted 40 years.
• Chaos reigned after the storm.

Rein

Rein refers to the straps used to control a horse — and by extension, any situation where someone holds or loosens control.

• She pulled the horse’s reins gently.
• The manager decided to loosen the reins on the team.
• We need to rein in spending this year.

Rain

Rain is simply the water that falls from the sky.

• The forecast says heavy rain this weekend.
• It started to rain just as we arrived.