dictate

/ˈdɪkˌteɪt/

//ˈdɪkˌteɪt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“dictate” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,320. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,320
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An order or command.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dictate · dictate · English

dictate · rank #13,320 · 10 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #13,320
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Diaz

Nearest frequency peer: Diaz (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “dictate”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “dictate” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dictate vs dictator
75% similar
dictate vs dictated
88% similar
dictate vs distaste
75% similar

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

Key facts for dictate
PropertyValue
Headworddictate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɪkˌteɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#13,320
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dictate”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).dictatelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Diaz” (#13,319), “discounted” (#13,322), “cyclist” (#13,317). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dictate” is #13,320. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around dictate (IPA /ˈdɪkˌteɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #13,320 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Dominant gloss: "An order or command.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for dictate, with forms such as "dcitate", "ddictate", and "dicatte". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "dictator", "dictated", "distaste", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1581; borrowed from Latin dictātum (“a thing said, something dictated”), substantivized from the nominative neuter singular of dictātus, the perfect passive participle of dictō (“pronounce or declare repeatedly; dictate”), frequentative of… The correct English form is dictate, spelled D-I-C-T-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An order or command.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how dictate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. I must obey the dictates of my conscience.

Etymology

First attested in 1581; borrowed from Latin dictātum (“a thing said, something dictated”), substantivized from the nominative neuter singular of dictātus, the perfect passive participle of dictō (“pronounce or declare repeatedly; dictate”), frequentative of dīcō (“say, speak”). Doublet of diktat.

This word in other languages

dictado(Español)Diktat(Deutsch)ordem(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • dcitate
  • ddictate
  • dicatte
  • dicctate
  • dictaet
  • dictatte
  • dicttae
  • dicttate
  • ditcate
  • idctate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dictate - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

dcitate2ddictate1dicatte2dicctate1dictaet2dictatte1dicttae2dicttate1
Edit distance from "dictate"

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 "dictate"?
"dictate" is spelled D-I-C-T-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪkˌteɪt/.
What does "dictate" mean?
As a noun, "dictate" means: An order or command.
What words are commonly confused with "dictate"?
"dictate" is commonly confused with "dictator", "dictated", "distaste". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dictate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dictate" is /ˈdɪkˌteɪt/. 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 "dictate"?
First attested in 1581; borrowed from Latin dictātum (“a thing said, something dictated”), substantivized from the nominative neuter singular of dictātus, the perfect passive participle of dictō (“pronounce or declare repeatedly; dictate”), freque... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "dictate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cyclist#13,317cushion#13,316endured#13,336choking#13,299

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

Cheryl10 variantsfearful10 variantsfestive10 variantsforeman10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list