demonstrate
/ˈdɛm.ənˌstɹeɪt/
"demonstrate" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“demonstrate” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,117 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #5,117
- frequency rank, English
- 11
- letters
- 17
- tracked misspellings
- 4
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To show how to use (something).
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | demonstrate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈdɛm.ənˌstɹeɪt/ |
| Letters | 11 |
| Frequency rank | #5,117 |
| Misspellings tracked | 17 |
| Confusable pairs | 4 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “demonstrate” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for demonstrate is 11 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɛm.ənˌstɹeɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,117 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 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for demonstrate, with forms such as "ddemonstrate", "demmonstrate", and "demnostrate". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "demonstrated", "demonstrator", "demonstrative", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin dēmonstrātus, the perfect passive participle of dēmonstrō (“to show, point at”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Cognate with French démontrer. The correct English form is demonstrate, spelled D-E-M-O-N-S-T-R-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1To show how to use (something).
- 2To show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation.
- 3To participate in or organize a demonstration.
- 4To show, display, or present; to prove or make evident
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin dēmonstrātus, the perfect passive participle of dēmonstrō (“to show, point at”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Cognate with French démontrer.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ddemonstrate,demmonstrate,demnostrate,demonnstrate,demonsrtate,demonsstrate,demonstarte,demonstraet,demonstratte,demonstrrate,demonstrtae,demonsttrate,demontsrate,demosntrate,deomnstrate,dmeonstrate,edmonstrate
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of demonstrate - 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.
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
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Using “demonstrate”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-M-O-N-S-T-R-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈdɛm.ənˌstɹeɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “demonstrated” - see the side-by-side comparison. demonstrate vs demonstrated
- 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.