citrate

/ˈsɪtɹeɪt/

//ˈsɪtɹeɪt// noun

"citrate" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“citrate” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,983. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,983
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any salt or ester of citric acid.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

citrate vs crate
71% similar
citrate vs curate
71% similar

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

Key facts for citrate
PropertyValue
Headwordcitrate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪtɹeɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#33,983
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “citrate” 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). citrate lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around citrate (IPA /ˈsɪtɹeɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #33,983 among 43,570 “C” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Any salt or ester of citric acid.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for citrate, with forms such as "ccitrate", "cirtate", and "citarte". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "crate", "curate", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From citric acid + -ate. The correct English form is citrate, spelled C-I-T-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any salt or ester of citric acid.

Etymology

From citric acid + -ate.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccitrate
  • cirtate
  • citarte
  • citraet
  • citratte
  • citrrate
  • citrtae
  • cittrate
  • ctirate
  • ictrate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccitrate1cirtate2citarte2citraet2citratte1citrrate1citrtae2cittrate1
Edit distance from "citrate"

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 "citrate"?
"citrate" is spelled C-I-T-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪtɹeɪt/.
What does "citrate" mean?
As a noun, "citrate" means: Any salt or ester of citric acid.
What words are commonly confused with "citrate"?
"citrate" is commonly confused with "crate", "curate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "citrate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "citrate" is /ˈsɪtɹeɪt/. 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 "citrate"?
From citric acid + -ate. 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 “citrate”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-I-T-R-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɪtɹeɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “crate” - see the side-by-side comparison. citrate vs crate
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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