consulate

/ˈkɒnsjʊlət/

//ˈkɒnsjʊlət// noun

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

"consulate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“consulate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,691 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,691
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Rule by consuls, as during most periods of the Roman Republic or in France between 1799 and 1804.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

consulate vs consult
78% similar
consulate vs consulted
78% similar
consulate vs consummate
80% similar

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

Key facts for consulate
PropertyValue
Headwordconsulate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒnsjʊlət/
Letters9
Frequency rank#13,691
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “consulate” 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). consulate 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 consulate is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɒnsjʊlət/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,691 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for consulate, with forms such as "cconsulate", "cnosulate", and "connsulate". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "consult", "consulted", "consummate", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English consulat, consulate, from Latin consulātus, from consul + -ātus. In some senses, via French consulat. By surface analysis, consul + -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office). The correct English form is consulate, spelled C-O-N-S-U-L-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Rule by consuls, as during most periods of the Roman Republic or in France between 1799 and 1804.
  2. 2
    The office of a consul, in its various senses.
  3. 3
    The term of office of a consul.
  4. 4
    The business office of a consul; a minor embassy.
  5. 5
    Any town or city council.

Etymology

From Middle English consulat, consulate, from Latin consulātus, from consul + -ātus. In some senses, via French consulat. By surface analysis, consul + -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office).

Synonyms

capitoulateconsulshipcapitoulate

This word in other languages

consulado(Español)consulat(Français)Konsulat(Deutsch)consulado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cconsulate,cnosulate,connsulate,consluate,conssulate,consualte,consulaet,consulatte,consullate,consultae,conuslate,cosnulate,ocnsulate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of consulate - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

cconsulate1cnosulate2connsulate1consluate2conssulate1consualte2consulaet2consulatte1
Edit distance from "consulate"

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 "consulate"?
"consulate" is spelled C-O-N-S-U-L-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒnsjʊlət/.
What does "consulate" mean?
As a noun, "consulate" means: Rule by consuls, as during most periods of the Roman Republic or in France between 1799 and 1804.
What words are commonly confused with "consulate"?
"consulate" is commonly confused with "consult", "consulted", "consummate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "consulate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "consulate" is /ˈkɒnsjʊlət/. 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 "consulate"?
From Middle English consulat, consulate, from Latin consulātus, from consul + -ātus. In some senses, via French consulat. By surface analysis, consul + -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office). 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 “consulate”

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

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