accelerate

/əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪt/

//əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“accelerate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,829 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#11,829
frequency rank, English
10
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To cause to move faster; to quicken the motion of; to add to the speed of.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

accelerate vs accelerated
91% similar
accelerate vs accelerator
82% similar

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

Key facts for accelerate
PropertyValue
Headwordaccelerate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#11,829
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “accelerate” 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). accelerate 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 accelerate is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,829 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for accelerate, with forms such as "acceelrate", "accelearte", and "acceleraet". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "accelerated", "accelerator", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in the 1520s. Either from Latin accelerātus, perfect passive participle of accelerō (“to accelerate, hasten”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), formed from ad + celerō (“to hasten”), which is from celer (“q… The correct English form is accelerate, spelled A-C-C-E-L-E-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cause to move faster; to quicken the motion of; to add to the speed of.
  2. 2
    To quicken the natural or ordinary progression or process of.
  3. 3
    To cause a change of velocity.
  4. 4
    To hasten, as the occurrence of an event.
  5. 5
    To enable a student to finish a course of study in less than normal time.
  6. 6
    To become faster; to begin to move more quickly.
  7. 7
    Grow; increase.

Etymology

First attested in the 1520s. Either from Latin accelerātus, perfect passive participle of accelerō (“to accelerate, hasten”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), formed from ad + celerō (“to hasten”), which is from celer (“quick”) (see celerity), or back-formation from acceleration.

Synonyms

hastenquickenspeed upexpeditefurtheradvanceforward

Antonyms

decelerateretardunaccelerate

This word in other languages

acelerar(Español)accélérer(Français)beschleunigen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acceelrate,accelearte,acceleraet,acceleratte,accelerrate,accelertae,accellerate,accelreate,accleerate,aceclerate,acelerate,cacelerate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of accelerate - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

acceelrate2accelearte2acceleraet2acceleratte1accelerrate1accelertae2accellerate1accelreate2
Edit distance from "accelerate"

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 "accelerate"?
"accelerate" is spelled A-C-C-E-L-E-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪt/.
What does "accelerate" mean?
As a verb, "accelerate" means: To cause to move faster; to quicken the motion of; to add to the speed of.
What words are commonly confused with "accelerate"?
"accelerate" is commonly confused with "accelerated", "accelerator". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "accelerate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "accelerate" is /əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪt/. 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 "accelerate"?
First attested in the 1520s. Either from Latin accelerātus, perfect passive participle of accelerō (“to accelerate, hasten”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), formed from ad + celerō (“to hasten”), which is from... 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 “accelerate”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-C-C-E-L-E-R-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “accelerated” - see the side-by-side comparison. accelerate vs accelerated
  • 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