automate

/ˈɔː.tə.meɪt/

//ˈɔː.tə.meɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“automate” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,007. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,007
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To replace or enhance human labor with machines.

Corpus desk

Index EN-automate · automate · English

automate · rank #26,007 · 10 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,007
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH barre

Nearest frequency peer: barre (+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 “automate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “automate” 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).

automate vs automatic
78% similar
automate vs automated
89% similar
automate vs automaton
78% similar

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

Key facts for automate
PropertyValue
Headwordautomate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɔː.tə.meɪt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#26,007
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “automate”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).automatelands 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 “barre” (#26,008), “archdiocese” (#26,005), “basilica” (#26,009). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “automate” is #26,007. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around automate (IPA /ˈɔː.tə.meɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #26,007 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To replace or enhance human labor with machines.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for automate, with forms such as "atuomate", "auotmate", and "autmoate". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "automatic", "automated", "automaton", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from automation. The correct English form is automate, spelled A-U-T-O-M-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To replace or enhance human labor with machines.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Many offices still need to automate.
  2. We saved time and money by automating the process.

Etymology

Back-formation from automation.

Synonyms

robotize

This word in other languages

automatizar(Español)automatiser(Français)automatisieren(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atuomate
  • auotmate
  • autmoate
  • autoamte
  • automaet
  • automatte
  • autommate
  • automtae
  • auttomate
  • uatomate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

atuomate2auotmate2autmoate2autoamte2automaet2automatte1autommate1automtae2
Edit distance from "automate"

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 "automate"?
"automate" is spelled A-U-T-O-M-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɔː.tə.meɪt/.
What does "automate" mean?
As a verb, "automate" means: To replace or enhance human labor with machines.
What words are commonly confused with "automate"?
"automate" is commonly confused with "automatic", "automated", "automaton". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "automate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "automate" is /ˈɔː.tə.meɪt/. 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 "automate"?
Back-formation from automation. 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 "automate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

basilica#26,009antelope#26,002aneurysm#26,001blushing#26,018

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

bitchy10 variantsairflow10 variantsbraided10 variantsCartier10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list