accede

/əkˈsiːd/

//əkˈsiːd// verb

"accede" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“accede” is uncommon English (frequency #52,754 among 3,931 “A” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,754
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To agree or assent [with to ‘a proposal, a request’]; to give way.

Corpus desk

Index EN-accede · accede · English

accede · rank #52,754 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,754
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH accrual

Nearest frequency peer: accrual (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “accede”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “accede” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for accede
PropertyValue
Headwordaccede
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əkˈsiːd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#52,754
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “accede” 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).accedelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “accrual” (#52,755), “achiever” (#52,756), “actuary” (#52,757). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

accede is uncommon English at frequency #52,754 among 3,931 “A” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /əkˈsiːd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

accede doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in the early 15th century. From Middle English acceden, from Latin accēdō (“approach, accede”), formed from ad (“to, toward, at”) + cēdō (“move, yield”) (English cede). Compare French accéder. Unrelated to ascend, aside from the common ad pre… The correct English form is accede, spelled A-C-C-E-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To agree or assent [with to ‘a proposal, a request’]; to give way.
  2. 2
    To come to an office, state or dignity; to attain, assume (a position) [with to].
  3. 3
    To become a party to an agreement or a treaty [with to].
  4. 4
    To approach; to arrive, to come forward.
  5. 5
    To give one's adhesion; to join up with (a group, etc.); to become part of.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. to accede to a request
  2. It was added that if he acceded to these proposals, his fortresses and sea-ports should be garrisoned by French and Spanish troops to protect him from England’s vengeance, but that if he refused—and the answer was to be given within four days—he must take the consequences of such a line of policy.

Etymology

First attested in the early 15th century. From Middle English acceden, from Latin accēdō (“approach, accede”), formed from ad (“to, toward, at”) + cēdō (“move, yield”) (English cede). Compare French accéder. Unrelated to ascend, aside from the common ad prefix.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

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 "accede"?
"accede" is spelled A-C-C-E-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əkˈsiːd/.
What does "accede" mean?
As a verb, "accede" means: To agree or assent [with to ‘a proposal, a request’]; to give way.
How do you pronounce "accede"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "accede" is /əkˈsiːd/. 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 "accede"?
First attested in the early 15th century. From Middle English acceden, from Latin accēdō (“approach, accede”), formed from ad (“to, toward, at”) + cēdō (“move, yield”) (English cede). Compare French accéder. Unrelated to ascend, aside from the com... 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 "accede", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

What to do next

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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