cremate

/ˈkɹimeɪt/

//ˈkɹimeɪt// verb

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

The verdict

“cremate” is uncommon English (frequency #82,200 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#82,200
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

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

Key facts for cremate
PropertyValue
Headwordcremate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkɹimeɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#82,200
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cremate” 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). cremate lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

cremate is uncommon English at frequency #82,200 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈkɹimeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for cremate in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1889; borrowed from Latin cremātus, perfect passive participle of cremō (“to burn to ashes; to cremate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). The correct English form is cremate, spelled C-R-E-M-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To burn something to ashes.
  2. 2
    To incinerate a dead body (as an alternative to burial).

Etymology

First attested in 1889; borrowed from Latin cremātus, perfect passive participle of cremō (“to burn to ashes; to cremate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

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); 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 "cremate"?
"cremate" is spelled C-R-E-M-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹimeɪt/.
What does "cremate" mean?
As a verb, "cremate" means: To burn something to ashes.
How do you pronounce "cremate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cremate" is /ˈkɹimeɪt/. 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 "cremate"?
First attested in 1889; borrowed from Latin cremātus, perfect passive participle of cremō (“to burn to ashes; to cremate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). 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 “cremate”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-R-E-M-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɹimeɪt/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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