debate

/dɪˈbeɪt/

//dɪˈbeɪt// verb

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

"debate" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“debate” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,288 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,288
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To participate in a debate; to dispute, argue, especially in a public arena.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

debate vs debt
67% similar
debate vs debut
67% similar
debate vs debts
67% similar

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

Key facts for debate
PropertyValue
Headworddebate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈbeɪt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,288
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “debate” 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). debate 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 debate is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈbeɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,288 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for debate, with forms such as "dbeate", "ddebate", and "deabte". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "debt", "debut", "debts", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English debaten, from Old French debatre (“to fight, contend, debate, also literally to beat down”), from Romanic desbattere, from Latin dis- (“apart, in different directions”) + battuō (“to beat, to fence”). The correct English form is debate, spelled D-E-B-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To participate in a debate; to dispute, argue, especially in a public arena.
  2. 2
    To fight.
  3. 3
    To engage in combat for; to strive for.
  4. 4
    To consider (to oneself), to think over, to attempt to decide

Etymology

From Middle English debaten, from Old French debatre (“to fight, contend, debate, also literally to beat down”), from Romanic desbattere, from Latin dis- (“apart, in different directions”) + battuō (“to beat, to fence”).

This word in other languages

debatir(Español)débattre(Français)debattieren(Deutsch)debater(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: dbeate,ddebate,deabte,debaet,debatte,debbate,debtae,edbate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of debate - 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.

dbeate2ddebate1deabte2debaet2debatte1debbate1debtae2edbate2
Edit distance from "debate"

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 "debate"?
"debate" is spelled D-E-B-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈbeɪt/.
What does "debate" mean?
As a verb, "debate" means: To participate in a debate; to dispute, argue, especially in a public arena.
What words are commonly confused with "debate"?
"debate" is commonly confused with "debt", "debut", "debts". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "debate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "debate" is /dɪˈbeɪt/. 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 "debate"?
From Middle English debaten, from Old French debatre (“to fight, contend, debate, also literally to beat down”), from Romanic desbattere, from Latin dis- (“apart, in different directions”) + battuō (“to beat, to fence”). 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 “debate”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-B-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪˈbeɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “debt” - see the side-by-side comparison. debate vs debt
  • 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