agate

/ˈæɡ.ɪt/

//ˈæɡ.ɪt// noun

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

"agate" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“agate” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,422. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,422
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A semitransparent, uncrystallized silicate mineral and semiprecious stone, presenting various tints in the same specimen, with colors delicately arranged and often curved in parallel alternating da...

Corpus desk

Index EN-agate · agate · English

agate · rank #36,422 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,422
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Afrikaans

Nearest frequency peer: Afrikaans (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “agate”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “agate” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

agate vs age
60% similar
agate vs ate
60% similar
agate vs ante
60% similar

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

Key facts for agate
PropertyValue
Headwordagate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæɡ.ɪt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#36,422
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “agate”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Afrikaans” (#36,421), “airstrip” (#36,423), “Adrien” (#36,419). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “agate” is #36,422. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around agate (IPA /ˈæɡ.ɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #36,422 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for agate, with forms such as "aagte", "agaet", and "agatte". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "age", "ate", "ante", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French agathe, from Latin achatēs, from Ancient Greek ἀχάτης (akhátēs, “agate”). The correct English form is agate, spelled A-G-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A semitransparent, uncrystallized silicate mineral and semiprecious stone, presenting various tints in the same specimen, with colors delicately arranged and often curved in parallel alternating dark and light stripes or bands, or blended in clouds; various authorities call it a variety of chalcedony, a variety of quartz, or a combination of the two.
  2. 2
    The size of type between pearl and nonpareil, standardized as 5+¹⁄₂-point.
  3. 3
    One fourteenth of an inch.
  4. 4
    A diminutive person; so called in allusion to the small figures cut in agate for rings and seals.
  5. 5
    A tool used by gold-wire drawers, bookbinders, etc.;—so called from the agate fixed in it for burnishing.
  6. 6
    A marble made from agate.
  7. 7
    A testicle.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The ends of the veil, drawn over her head, were embroidered with silver; she had long gold ear-rings; to a rich and large gold chain was suspended a cross set with precious stones; and over the arm of her chair hung a rosary of agate beads.
  2. Yes: living among the cohabations^([sic]) of Faust himself, among the litharge and agate and hyacinth and pearls.

Etymology

From Middle French agathe, from Latin achatēs, from Ancient Greek ἀχάτης (akhátēs, “agate”).

Synonyms

rubyaggie

This word in other languages

ágata(Español)agate(Français)Achat(Deutsch)ágata(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aagte
  • agaet
  • agatte
  • aggate
  • agtae
  • gaate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of agate - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

aagte2agaet2agatte1aggate1agtae2gaate2
Edit distance from "agate"

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 "agate"?
"agate" is spelled A-G-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæɡ.ɪt/.
What does "agate" mean?
As a noun, "agate" means: A semitransparent, uncrystallized silicate mineral and semiprecious stone, presenting various tints in the same specimen, with colors delicately arranged and often curved in parallel alternating da...
What words are commonly confused with "agate"?
"agate" is commonly confused with "age", "ate", "ante". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "agate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "agate" is /ˈæɡ.ɪt/. 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 "agate"?
From Middle French agathe, from Latin achatēs, from Ancient Greek ἀχάτης (akhátēs, “agate”). 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 "agate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

alkyl#36,425aster#36,438Barbs#36,447Verdi#36,389

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Burg6 variantsburp6 variantsCris6 variantspilar6 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list