Which to use
“predominate” is a verb and “predominately” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #47,839
- “predominate” frequency rank
- #35,891
- “predominately” frequency rank
- 83730
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | predominate | predominately |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To dominate, have control, or succeed by superior numbers or size. | In a predominate manner; predominantly. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set predominate and predominately apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
predominate and predominately form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “predominate” sits inside “predominately” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 83730, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
predominate is recorded at frequency rank #47,839, classified as averb, pronounced /pɹɪˈdɒmɪneɪt/. predominately is at rank #35,891, tagged as anadv.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 83730, this pair ranks #13,267 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "predominate" and "predominately" be used interchangeably?
Remembering predominate vs predominately
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “predominate”; for an adverb, it's “predominately”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “predominate” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable