abbreviate

/əˈbɹiː.vi.eɪt/

//əˈbɹiː.vi.eɪt// verb

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

"abbreviate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“abbreviate” is an uncommon English word, ranked #72,057 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#72,057
frequency rank, English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To shorten by omitting parts or details.

Key facts for abbreviate
PropertyValue
Headwordabbreviate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈbɹiː.vi.eɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#72,057
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “abbreviate” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). abbreviate lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for abbreviate is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈbɹiː.vi.eɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #72,057 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

abbreviate has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English abbreviaten, from abbreviat(e) (“abbreviated”, used as the participle of abbreviaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin abbreviātus, perfect passive participle of abbreviō (“to shorten”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), f… The correct English form is abbreviate, spelled A-B-B-R-E-V-I-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To shorten by omitting parts or details.
  2. 2
    To speak or write in a brief manner.
  3. 3
    To make shorter; to shorten (in time); to abridge; to shorten by ending sooner than planned.
  4. 4
    To reduce a word or phrase by means of contraction or omission to a shorter recognizable form.
  5. 5
    To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction.

Etymology

From Middle English abbreviaten, from abbreviat(e) (“abbreviated”, used as the participle of abbreviaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin abbreviātus, perfect passive participle of abbreviō (“to shorten”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), formed from ab- + breviō (“to shorten”), from brevis (“short”). Alternatively, a back-formation from abbreviation. Doublet of abridge.

Synonyms

abridgecompresscondensecontractcurtailepitomizereduceshorten

Antonyms

amplifydilateelongateenlargeexpandexpatiateextendlengthenproduceprolongstretch

This word in other languages

abreviar(Español)abréger(Français)kürzen(Deutsch)abreviar(Português)

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 "abbreviate"?
"abbreviate" is spelled A-B-B-R-E-V-I-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈbɹiː.vi.eɪt/.
What does "abbreviate" mean?
As a verb, "abbreviate" means: To shorten by omitting parts or details.
How do you pronounce "abbreviate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abbreviate" is /əˈbɹiː.vi.eɪt/. 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 "abbreviate"?
From Middle English abbreviaten, from abbreviat(e) (“abbreviated”, used as the participle of abbreviaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin abbreviātus, perfect passive participle of abbreviō (“to shorten”) (see -ate (verb-forming s... 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.

Using “abbreviate”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-B-B-R-E-V-I-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈbɹiː.vi.eɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English 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