decollate

/dɪˈkɒleɪt/

//dɪˈkɒleɪt// verb

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To behead.

Corpus desk

Index EN-decollate · decollate · English

decollate · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "D" 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 decollate
PropertyValue
Headworddecollate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈkɒleɪt/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “decollate” in English

decollatefalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

decollate is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /dɪˈkɒleɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To behead.".

decollate doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, 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 1599; borrowed from Latin dēcollātus, perfect passive participle of dēcollō (“to behead”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from dē- (“of, from”) + collum (“neck”) + -ō. The correct English form is decollate, spelled D-E-C-O-L-L-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To behead.

Etymology

First attested in 1599; borrowed from Latin dēcollātus, perfect passive participle of dēcollō (“to behead”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from dē- (“of, from”) + collum (“neck”) + -ō.

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 "decollate"?
"decollate" is spelled D-E-C-O-L-L-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈkɒleɪt/.
What does "decollate" mean?
As a verb, "decollate" means: To behead.
How do you pronounce "decollate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "decollate" is /dɪˈkɒleɪt/. 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 "decollate"?
First attested in 1599; borrowed from Latin dēcollātus, perfect passive participle of dēcollō (“to behead”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from dē- (“of, from”) + collum (“neck”) + -ō. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list