approximate

/əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/

//əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət// adj

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

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

The verdict

“approximate” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,181. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,181
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Approaching; proximate; nearly resembling.

Corpus desk

Index EN-approximate · approximate · English

approximate · rank #12,181 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #12,181
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH applicant

Nearest frequency peer: applicant (-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 “approximate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “approximate” 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).

approximate vs approximately
85% similar

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

Key facts for approximate
PropertyValue
Headwordapproximate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/
Letters11
Frequency rank#12,181
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “approximate”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).approximatelands 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 “applicant” (#12,180), “assemble” (#12,182), “amazingly” (#12,178). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “approximate” is #12,181. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around approximate (IPA /əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #12,181 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for approximate, with forms such as "apporximate", "approixmate", and "approxiamte". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "approximately", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin proximō Latin approximō Latin approximātusder. Middle English approximat English approximate From Middle English approximat(e) (“close, near (to); similar; intimate”… The correct English form is approximate, spelled A-P-P-R-O-X-I-M-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Approaching; proximate; nearly resembling.
  2. 2
    Nearing correctness; nearly exact; not perfectly accurate.
  3. 3
    Drawn close together, but not united.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. approximate results or values
  2. NASA’s Genesis spacecraft has on board an ion monitor to record the speed, density, temperature and approximate composition of the solar wind ions.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin proximō Latin approximō Latin approximātusder. Middle English approximat English approximate From Middle English approximat(e) (“close, near (to); similar; intimate”, also used as the past participle of approximaten), from Latin approximātus, the perfect passive participle of approximō (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), further from ad- (“to, towards, at”) + proximō (“to come near”). The noun was derived from the adjective through substantivization, see -ate (noun-forming suffix). See also proximate. By surface analysis, ap- + proximate.

Synonyms

close

Antonyms

exactprecise

This word in other languages

aproximado(Español)approximant(Français)annähernd(Deutsch)aproximado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • apporximate
  • approixmate
  • approxiamte
  • approximaet
  • approximatte
  • approximmate
  • approximtae
  • approxmiate
  • approxximate
  • apprroximate
  • apprxoimate
  • aproximate
  • aprpoximate
  • paproximate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

apporximate2approixmate2approxiamte2approximaet2approximatte1approximmate1approximtae2approxmiate2
Edit distance from "approximate"

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 "approximate"?
"approximate" is spelled A-P-P-R-O-X-I-M-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/.
What does "approximate" mean?
As an adjective, "approximate" means: Approaching; proximate; nearly resembling.
What words are commonly confused with "approximate"?
"approximate" is commonly confused with "approximately". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "approximate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "approximate" is /əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/. 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 "approximate"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin proximō Latin approximō Latin approximātusder. Middle English approximat English approximate From Middle English approximat(e) (“close, near (to); similar;... 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 "approximate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

compartment#12,209entertained#12,234multiplayer#12,278incompetent#12,078

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

amazingly14 variantsadequately14 variantsvocational14 variantsunderwent14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list