accelerator

/əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪ.tɚ/

//əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪ.tɚ// noun

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

"accelerator" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“accelerator” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,630 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,630
frequency rank, English
11
letters
14
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who, or that which, accelerates.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

accelerator vs accelerate
82% similar
accelerator vs accelerated
82% similar
accelerator vs acceleration
83% similar

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

Key facts for accelerator
PropertyValue
Headwordaccelerator
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪ.tɚ/
Letters11
Frequency rank#16,630
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “accelerator” 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). accelerator 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 accelerator is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪ.tɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,630 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for accelerator, with forms such as "acceelrator", "acceleartor", and "acceleraotr". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "accelerate", "accelerated", "acceleration", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: * First attested in 1611. * (motor vehicle): First attested in 1900. * accelerate + -or The correct English form is accelerator, spelled A-C-C-E-L-E-R-A-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who, or that which, accelerates.
  2. 2
    A device for causing acceleration.
  3. 3
    A substance which speeds up chemical reactions.
  4. 4
    A pedal causing the vehicle to accelerate when it is pressed.
  5. 5
    A chemical that reduces development time.
  6. 6
    A device that accelerates charged subatomic particles; a particle accelerator.
  7. 7
    A muscle or nerve that speeds the performance of an action.
  8. 8
    An accelerator key.
  9. 9
    A computer component using dedicated hardware to accelerate the processing and display of graphics.
  10. 10
    A light van to take mails between a post office and a railway station.
  11. 11
    A mentoring program for startup companies.

Etymology

* First attested in 1611. * (motor vehicle): First attested in 1900. * accelerate + -or

Synonyms

gas pedalgasthrottlego pedalparticle acceleratoratom smasher

This word in other languages

acelerador(Español)accélérateur(Français)Beschleuniger(Deutsch)acelerador(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acceelrator,acceleartor,acceleraotr,acceleratorr,acceleratro,accelerattor,accelerrator,accelertaor,accellerator,accelreator,accleerator,aceclerator,acelerator,cacelerator

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acceelrator2acceleartor2acceleraotr2acceleratorr1acceleratro2accelerattor1accelerrator1accelertaor2
Edit distance from "accelerator"

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 "accelerator"?
"accelerator" is spelled A-C-C-E-L-E-R-A-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪ.tɚ/.
What does "accelerator" mean?
As a noun, "accelerator" means: One who, or that which, accelerates.
What words are commonly confused with "accelerator"?
"accelerator" is commonly confused with "accelerate", "accelerated", "acceleration". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "accelerator"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "accelerator" is /əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪ.tɚ/. 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 "accelerator"?
* First attested in 1611. * (motor vehicle): First attested in 1900. * accelerate + -or 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 “accelerator”

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-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪ.tɚ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “accelerate” - see the side-by-side comparison. accelerator vs accelerate
  • 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