conflagrate
/ˈkɑn.flə.ɡreɪt/
"conflagrate" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“conflagrate” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 11
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To catch fire.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | conflagrate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈkɑn.flə.ɡreɪt/ |
| Letters | 11 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “conflagrate” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for conflagrate is 11 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɑn.flə.ɡreɪt/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
conflagrate doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1657; borrowed from Latin cōnflāgrātus, perfect passive participial of cōnflāgrō (“to be consumed by fire; (rare) to set aflame”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). The correct English form is conflagrate, spelled C-O-N-F-L-A-G-R-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1To catch fire.
- 2To set fire to something.
Etymology
First attested in 1657; borrowed from Latin cōnflāgrātus, perfect passive participial of cōnflāgrō (“to be consumed by fire; (rare) to set aflame”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “conflagrate”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-N-F-L-A-G-R-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkɑn.flə.ɡreɪt/ (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.