# accelerate

> English word · Verb · IPA /əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪt/ · frequency rank #11,829

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

## Easily confused with
- **accelerated** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/accelerate-vs-accelerated)
- **accelerator** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/accelerate-vs-accelerator)

## Common misspellings (12)
`acceelrate`, `accelearte`, `acceleraet`, `acceleratte`, `accelerrate`, `accelertae`, `accellerate`, `accelreate`, `accleerate`, `aceclerate`, `acelerate`, `cacelerate`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/accelerate