# articulate

> English word · Verb · IPA /ɑː(ɹ)ˈtɪk.jʊ.leɪt/ · frequency rank #14,067

## Definitions
1. To make clear or effective.
2. To speak clearly; to enunciate.
3. To explain; to put into words; to make something specific.
4. To bend or hinge something at intervals, or to allow or build something so that it can bend.
5. To attack a note, as by tonguing, slurring, bowing, etc.
6. To form a joint or connect by joints.
7. To treat or make terms.

## Etymology
The adjective is first attested in 1531, the verb in 1551; borrowed from Latin articulātus (“distinct, articulated, jointed”), perfect passive participle of articulō, see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3). Regular participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

## Easily confused with
- **articulated** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/articulate-vs-articulated)

## Common misspellings (14)
`aritculate`, `arrticulate`, `artciulate`, `articculate`, `articluate`, `articualte`, `articulaet`, `articulatte`, `articullate`, `articultae`, `artiuclate`, `artticulate`, `atriculate`, `raticulate`

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