assimilate

/əˈsɪm.ɪ.leɪt/

//əˈsɪm.ɪ.leɪt// verb

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

"assimilate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“assimilate” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,057. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,057
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To incorporate nutrients into the body, especially after digestion.

Corpus desk

Index EN-assimilate · assimilate · English

assimilate · rank #27,057 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,057
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH asp

Nearest frequency peer: asp (-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 “assimilate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “assimilate” 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
Key facts for assimilate
PropertyValue
Headwordassimilate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈsɪm.ɪ.leɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#27,057
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “assimilate”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).assimilatelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “asp” (#27,056), “asterisk” (#27,058), “ASD” (#27,055). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “assimilate” is #27,057. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around assimilate (IPA /əˈsɪm.ɪ.leɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #27,057 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for assimilate, with forms such as "asimilate", "asismilate", and "assiimlate". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in the early 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; Middle English assimilaten (“to become similar; to make like”), from assimilat(e) (“assimilated”, also used as the past participal of assimilaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Late L… The correct English form is assimilate, spelled A-S-S-I-M-I-L-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To incorporate nutrients into the body, especially after digestion.
  2. 2
    To incorporate or absorb (knowledge) into the mind.
  3. 3
    To absorb (a person or people) into a community or culture.
  4. 4
    To liken, compare to something similar.
  5. 5
    To bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between.
  6. 6
    To become similar.
  7. 7
    To be incorporated or absorbed into something.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Food is assimilated and converted into organic tissue.
  2. Hence also it may be, that the Parts of Animals and Vegetables preserve their several Forms, and assimilate their Nourishment; [...]

Etymology

First attested in the early 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; Middle English assimilaten (“to become similar; to make like”), from assimilat(e) (“assimilated”, also used as the past participal of assimilaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Late Latin assimilātus, variant of Latin assimulātus (“made similar, imitated”), perfect passive participle of assimulō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ad + simulō (“to imitate, copy”), from similis (“like, similar”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“together, one”). Doublet of assemble.

Synonyms

processintegrate

This word in other languages

asimilar(Español)assimiler(Français)assimilieren(Deutsch)assimilar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • asimilate
  • asismilate
  • assiimlate
  • assimialte
  • assimilaet
  • assimilatte
  • assimillate
  • assimiltae
  • assimliate
  • assimmilate
  • assmiilate
  • sasimilate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

asimilate1asismilate2assiimlate2assimialte2assimilaet2assimilatte1assimillate1assimiltae2
Edit distance from "assimilate"

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 "assimilate"?
"assimilate" is spelled A-S-S-I-M-I-L-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈsɪm.ɪ.leɪt/.
What does "assimilate" mean?
As a verb, "assimilate" means: To incorporate nutrients into the body, especially after digestion.
What are common misspellings of "assimilate"?
Common misspellings include "asimilate", "asismilate", "assiimlate", "assimialte", "assimilaet". The correct spelling is "assimilate".
How do you pronounce "assimilate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "assimilate" is /əˈsɪm.ɪ.leɪt/. 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 "assimilate"?
First attested in the early 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; Middle English assimilaten (“to become similar; to make like”), from assimilat(e) (“assimilated”, also used as the past participal of assimilaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed f... 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 "assimilate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

antichrist#27,048xenophobic#27,035xenophobia#27,034compendium#27,092

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

asterisk12 variantsAyrshire12 variantsValkyrie12 variantscremated12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list