communicate

Name: communicate, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/

//kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“communicate” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,112 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#5,112
frequency rank, English: 11
letters: 14
tracked misspellings: 4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To impart.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

communicate vs communicated

92% similar

communicate vs communicator

83% similar

communicate vs communicative

85% similar

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

Key facts for communicate
Property	Value
Headword	communicate
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/
Letters	11
Frequency rank	#5,112
Misspellings tracked	14
Confusable pairs	4
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “communicate” 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). communicate lands here:

#5,112

#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 communicate is 11 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,112 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for communicate, with forms such as "ccommunicate", "cmomunicate", and "commnuicate". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "communicated", "communicator", "communicative", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Adapted borrowing of Latin commūnicāt- (past participial stem of commūnicō (“share, impart; make common”)) + -ate (verb-forming suffix), from commūnis (“common”) + -icō. Compare French communiquer and its older (and now obsolete) English cognate from Middle… The correct English form is communicate, spelled C-O-M-M-U-N-I-C-A-T-E.

Definition

1
To impart.
2
To impart.
3
To impart.
4
To share
5
To share
6
To share
7
To share
8
To share

Etymology

Adapted borrowing of Latin commūnicāt- (past participial stem of commūnicō (“share, impart; make common”)) + -ate (verb-forming suffix), from commūnis (“common”) + -icō. Compare French communiquer and its older (and now obsolete) English cognate from Middle French, communique.

Synonyms

articulate communicate convey express make known outspeak portray put utter

This word in other languages

comunicar(Español)communiquer(Français)mitteilen(Deutsch)comunicar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccommunicate,cmomunicate,commnuicate,commuincate,communciate,communiacte,communicaet,communicatte,communiccate,communictae,communnicate,comumnicate,comunicate,ocmmunicate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of communicate - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "communicate"

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 "communicate"?

"communicate" is spelled C-O-M-M-U-N-I-C-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/.

What does "communicate" mean?

As a verb, "communicate" means: To impart.

What words are commonly confused with "communicate"?

"communicate" is commonly confused with "communicated", "communicator", "communicative". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "communicate"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "communicate" is /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/. 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 "communicate"?

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 “communicate”

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

The one correct English spelling is C-O-M-M-U-N-I-C-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “communicated” - see the side-by-side comparison. communicate vs communicated
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.