# dictate

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈdɪkˌteɪt/ · frequency rank #13,320

## Definitions
1. An order or command.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **dictator** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dictate-vs-dictator)
- **dictated** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dictate-vs-dictated)
- **distaste** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dictate-vs-distaste)

## Common misspellings (10)
`dcitate`, `ddictate`, `dicatte`, `dicctate`, `dictaet`, `dictatte`, `dicttae`, `dicttate`, `ditcate`, `idctate`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/dictate