You spell it rats. It is the plural form of rat, the small rodent that is often larger than a mouse and sometimes considered a pest.
The correct spelling is R-A-T-S, and you use it for more than one rat or in a few common expressions.
People sometimes ask how to spell rats because the word can look unusual in print, especially when it appears as an exclamation or in slang.
In standard English, the spelling is simple, and the meaning depends on whether you mean the animal, a person, or an expression like “Rats!”
Correct Spelling And Quick Answer
You spell it rat for one animal and rats for more than one.
The word appears in scientific and common references to a rodent, including the genus Rattus, with familiar species such as the brown rat, black rat, Norway rat, and roof rat.
Singular And Plural Forms
Rat is singular. Rats is plural, so you use it when you talk about two or more animals.
In everyday English, the spelling does not change in any special way, so adding -s is all you need.
How To Pronounce The Word
You pronounce rat and rats with a short a sound, like the vowel in “cat.”
The plural simply adds a final s sound, so rats sounds like rats, not like a different word.
Why It Is Sometimes Confused With Similar Words
People often confuse the word with mouse because both are small mammals.
It also gets mixed up with general terms like rodent and rodents, which describe a broader animal category.
You may see rats in headlines or slang, making it easy to mix up the spelling with another meaning.
What The Word Means In Standard English
In standard English, rats most often means the animals themselves.
It can also describe a person in a negative way, and it can appear as an exclamation when you are disappointed.
Animal Meaning In Everyday Use
A rat is a small, long-tailed animal that people often think of as a pest because it may spread disease, raid food, or gnaw through materials.
Dictionaries such as Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries describe it this way, and related types include the bush rat, cane rat, pack rat, mole rat, and rice rat.
The word can also describe something ratlike, meaning similar in shape or behavior.
You may hear about rat poison or a rat in a warehouse, cellar, or city alley.
Some people keep the animal as a pet, even though many still think of it as unwanted.
When It Refers To A Person
As slang, rat can mean an unpleasant person, especially someone seen as dishonest or disloyal.
That use fits words like betrayer, traitor, snitch, stool pigeon, informant, and informer.
The Exclamation Rats
Rats! is an informal exclamation of frustration or disappointment.
It is similar to saying you are annoyed when something goes wrong, and it does not refer to the animal in that moment.
Common Idioms And Slang Uses
You will often see rats in idioms and slang, where the word carries ideas about suspicion, betrayal, or a certain kind of person.
Some phrases are negative, while others are casual labels for habits or lifestyle.
Smell A Rat And Other Idioms
To smell a rat means to suspect that something is wrong or dishonest, a meaning also noted by Oxford.
Other related expressions include like a drowned rat for someone soaked through, and rat race for a tiring competition-focused lifestyle.
Rat Out Rat On And Inform On
To rat out, rat on, or inform on someone means to report them, usually in a way that feels disloyal.
Past forms like ratted and ratting appear in speech and writing when describing that act. These words overlap with snitch and informant, though the tone can be harsher.
Mall Rat Gym Rat And Rink Rat
Not every slang use is negative.
A mall rat, gym rat, or rink rat describes someone who spends a lot of time in that place or activity. People usually use these terms to describe a regular habit rather than an insult.
A rug rat is an informal, playful way to refer to a young child.
