debilitate

[dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt]

/[dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt]/ verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“debilitate” is outside the top-ranked German vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - (jemanden oder etwas) schwächen; entkräften; an den Kräften zehren

Key facts for debilitate
PropertyValue
Headworddebilitate
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “debilitate” sits in German frequency

debilitate falls outside the top-100,000 ranked German words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for debilitate is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "(jemanden oder etwas) schwächen; entkräften; an den Kräften zehren".

No misspelling variants are generated for debilitate in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is debilitate, spelled D-E-B-I-L-I-T-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    (jemanden oder etwas) schwächen; entkräften; an den Kräften zehren

Synonyms

weaken

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "debilitate"?
"debilitate" is spelled D-E-B-I-L-I-T-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is [dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt].
What does "debilitate" mean?
As a verb, "debilitate" means: (jemanden oder etwas) schwächen; entkräften; an den Kräften zehren
How do you pronounce "debilitate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "debilitate" is [dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "debilitate" come from?
"debilitate" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “debilitate”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is D-E-B-I-L-I-T-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list