amputate

/ˈæmpjʊteɪt/

//ˈæmpjʊteɪt// verb

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

"amputate" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“amputate” is uncommon English (frequency #58,501 among 3,931 “A” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,501
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cut off, to prune.

Corpus desk

Index EN-amputate · amputate · English

amputate · rank #58,501 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,501
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH AMOLED

Nearest frequency peer: AMOLED (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “amputate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “amputate” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for amputate
PropertyValue
Headwordamputate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈæmpjʊteɪt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#58,501
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “amputate” in English

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

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “AMOLED” (#58,500), “anally” (#58,502), “alk” (#58,498). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “amputate” is #58,501. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

amputate is uncommon English at frequency #58,501 among 3,931 “A” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈæmpjʊteɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

amputate has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin amputō (“prune, cut away”). The original sense of pruning (a tree, etc.) became obsolete. The OED considers uses related to anything other than an animal limb to be figurative uses of the modern sense. The correct English form is amputate, spelled A-M-P-U-T-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cut off, to prune.
  2. 2
    To surgically remove a part of the body, especially a limb.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The surgeon had to amputate the patient’s leg to save his life.
  2. Several soldiers had limbs amputated after the battle.

Etymology

From Latin amputō (“prune, cut away”). The original sense of pruning (a tree, etc.) became obsolete. The OED considers uses related to anything other than an animal limb to be figurative uses of the modern sense.

This word in other languages

amputar(Español)amputer(Français)amputieren(Deutsch)amputar(Português)

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 "amputate"?
"amputate" is spelled A-M-P-U-T-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæmpjʊteɪt/.
What does "amputate" mean?
As a verb, "amputate" means: To cut off, to prune.
How do you pronounce "amputate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "amputate" is /ˈæmpjʊteɪt/. 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 "amputate"?
From Latin amputō (“prune, cut away”). The original sense of pruning (a tree, etc.) became obsolete. The OED considers uses related to anything other than an animal limb to be figurative uses of the modern sense. 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 "amputate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

adorably#58,493asphyxia#58,518Asturias#58,519availing#58,523

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list