circumnavigate

/ˌsə.kəmˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt/

//ˌsə.kəmˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt// verb

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

"circumnavigate" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“circumnavigate” is an uncommon English word, ranked #69,737 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#69,737
frequency rank, English
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To travel completely around somewhere or something, especially by sail.

Key facts for circumnavigate
PropertyValue
Headwordcircumnavigate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌsə.kəmˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt/
Letters14
Frequency rank#69,737
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “circumnavigate” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for circumnavigate is 14 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌsə.kəmˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #69,737 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for circumnavigate in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin circumnāvigātus, perfect passive participle of circumnāvigō (“sail round something, circumnavigate”), from circum (“about, around”) + nāvigō (“sail, navigate”), from nāvis (“ship”) + agō (“do”). By surface analysis, circum- + navigate. The correct English form is circumnavigate, spelled C-I-R-C-U-M-N-A-V-I-G-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To travel completely around somewhere or something, especially by sail.
  2. 2
    To circumvent or bypass.
  3. 3
    To sail around the world.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin circumnāvigātus, perfect passive participle of circumnāvigō (“sail round something, circumnavigate”), from circum (“about, around”) + nāvigō (“sail, navigate”), from nāvis (“ship”) + agō (“do”). By surface analysis, circum- + navigate.

This word in other languages

circunvenir(Español)circumnaviguer(Français)umsegeln(Deutsch)

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 "circumnavigate"?
"circumnavigate" is spelled C-I-R-C-U-M-N-A-V-I-G-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌsə.kəmˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt/.
What does "circumnavigate" mean?
As a verb, "circumnavigate" means: To travel completely around somewhere or something, especially by sail.
How do you pronounce "circumnavigate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "circumnavigate" is /ˌsə.kəmˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt/. 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 "circumnavigate"?
Borrowed from Latin circumnāvigātus, perfect passive participle of circumnāvigō (“sail round something, circumnavigate”), from circum (“about, around”) + nāvigō (“sail, navigate”), from nāvis (“ship”) + agō (“do”). By surface analysis, circum- + n... 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.

Using “circumnavigate”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-I-R-C-U-M-N-A-V-I-G-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌsə.kəmˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list