abate

/əˈbeɪt/

//əˈbeɪt// verb

"abate" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“abate” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,506. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,506
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To lessen (something) in force or intensity; to moderate.

Corpus desk

Index EN-abate · abate · English

abate · rank #42,506 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,506
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH abra

Nearest frequency peer: abra (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “abate”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “abate” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

abate vs ate
60% similar
abate vs Abe
40% similar
abate vs able
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for abate
PropertyValue
Headwordabate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈbeɪt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#42,506
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “abate”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).abatelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “abra” (#42,507), “accesses” (#42,508), “adenosine” (#42,509). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “abate” is #42,506. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around abate (IPA /əˈbeɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #42,506 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 24 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for abate, with forms such as "aabte", "abaet", and "abatte". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ate", "Abe", "able", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English abaten, from Anglo-Norman abatre, from Late Latin abbattere, from Latin battere. detailed etymology, sense derivation, and cognates The verb is derived from Middle English abaten (“to demolish, knock down; to defeat, strike down; to stri… The correct English form is abate, spelled A-B-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To lessen (something) in force or intensity; to moderate.
  2. 2
    To reduce (something) in amount or size.
  3. 3
    To reduce (something) in amount or size.
  4. 4
    To lower (something) in price or value.
  5. 5
    To demolish or level to the ground (a building or other structure).
  6. 6
    To give no consideration to (something); to treat as an exception.
  7. 7
    To dull (an edge, point, etc.); to blunt.
  8. 8
    To make (a writ or other legal document) void; to nullify.
  9. 9
    To put an end to (a nuisance).
  10. 10
    To dismiss or otherwise bring to an end (legal proceedings) before they are completed, especially on procedural grounds rather than on the merits.
  11. 11
    To curtail or end (something); to cause to cease.
  12. 12
    To give (someone) a discount or rebate; also, to relieve (someone) of a debt.
  13. 13
    To bring down (someone) mentally or physically; to lower (someone) in status.
  14. 14
    Chiefly followed by from, of, etc.: to omit or remove (a part from a whole); to deduct, to subtract.
  15. 15
    Chiefly followed by of: to deprive (someone or something of another thing).
  16. 16
    To decrease in force or intensity; to subside.
  17. 17
    To decrease in amount or size.
  18. 18
    To lower in price or value; (law) specifically, of a bequest in a will: to lower in value because the testator's estate is insufficient to satisfy all the bequests in full.
  19. 19
    Of an edge, point, etc.: to become blunt or dull.
  20. 20
    Of a writ or other legal document: to become null and void; to cease to have effect.
  21. 21
    Of legal proceedings: to be dismissed or otherwise brought to an end before they are completed, especially on procedural grounds rather than on the merits.
  22. 22
    To give a discount or rebate; to discount, to rebate.
  23. 23
    To bow down; hence, to be abased or humbled.
  24. 24
    Chiefly followed by of: to deduct or subtract from.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how abate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. [Jupiter] whiche by his goodnes as Marcianus ſaieth, abateth the malice of Saturne. Therfore the Poets faine, that he did put his father out of his kingdome, Iſidore writeth as he abateth the malice of the euill Planets, […]
  2. Abate thy rage ſweete knight, Abate thy rage.

Etymology

From Middle English abaten, from Anglo-Norman abatre, from Late Latin abbattere, from Latin battere. detailed etymology, sense derivation, and cognates The verb is derived from Middle English abaten (“to demolish, knock down; to defeat, strike down; to strike or take down (a sail); to throw down; to bow dejectedly or submissively; to be dejected; to stop; to defeat, humiliate; to repeal (a law); to dismiss or quash (a lawsuit); to lessen, reduce; to injure, impair; to appease; to decline, grow less; to deduct, subtract; to make one’s way; attack (an enemy); (law) to enter or intrude upon (someone’s property); of a hawk: to beat or flap the wings”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman abater, abatier, abatre, abbatre, Middle French abattre, abatre, abattre, Old French abatre, abattre (“to demolish, knock down; to bring down, cut down; to lessen, reduce; to suppress; to stop; to discourage; to impoverish, ruin; to conquer; to overthrow; to kill; to remove (money) from circulation; (law) to annul”), from Late Latin abbattere (“to bring down, take down; to suppress; to debase (currency)”), from Latin ab- (prefix meaning ‘away; from; away from’) + Latin battere, from older battuere (“to beat, hit; to beat up; to fight”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ- (“to dig; to stab”)). The noun is derived from the verb.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aabte
  • abaet
  • abatte
  • abbate
  • abtae
  • baate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of abate - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

aabte2abaet2abatte1abbate1abtae2baate2
Edit distance from "abate"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "abate"?
"abate" is spelled A-B-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈbeɪt/.
What does "abate" mean?
As a verb, "abate" means: To lessen (something) in force or intensity; to moderate.
What words are commonly confused with "abate"?
"abate" is commonly confused with "ate", "Abe", "able". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "abate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abate" is /əˈbeɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "abate"?
From Middle English abaten, from Anglo-Norman abatre, from Late Latin abbattere, from Latin battere. detailed etymology, sense derivation, and cognates The verb is derived from Middle English abaten (“to demolish, knock down; to defeat, strike dow... See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "abate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list