consternate

/ˈkɒn.stəɹ.neɪt/

//ˈkɒn.stəɹ.neɪt// verb

"consternate" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“consternate” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cause consternation in; to dismay.

Corpus desk

Index EN-consternate · consternate · English

consternate · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for consternate
PropertyValue
Headwordconsternate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkɒn.stəɹ.neɪt/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “consternate” in English

consternatesits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

consternate is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈkɒn.stəɹ.neɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To cause consternation in; to dismay.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for consternate, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct English form is consternate, spelled C-O-N-S-T-E-R-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cause consternation in; to dismay.

This word in other languages

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

How do you spell "consternate"?
"consternate" is spelled C-O-N-S-T-E-R-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒn.stəɹ.neɪt/.
What does "consternate" mean?
As a verb, "consternate" means: To cause consternation in; to dismay.
How do you pronounce "consternate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "consternate" is /ˈkɒn.stəɹ.neɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "consternate" come from?
"consternate" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list