dominate

/ˈdɒm.ɪ.neɪt/

//ˈdɒm.ɪ.neɪt// verb

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

"dominate" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dominate” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,658 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#8,658
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To govern, rule or control by superior authority or power

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dominate vs donate
75% similar
dominate vs dominated
89% similar
dominate vs dominant
75% similar

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

Key facts for dominate
PropertyValue
Headworddominate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈdɒm.ɪ.neɪt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#8,658
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dominate” 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). dominate 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 dominate is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɒm.ɪ.neɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,658 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for dominate, with forms such as "ddominate", "dmoinate", and "doimnate". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "donate", "dominated", "dominant", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin dominātus, perfect active participle of dominor (“to rule, have dominion”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from dominus (“lord, master”) + -or (verb-forming suffix). The correct English form is dominate, spelled D-O-M-I-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To govern, rule or control by superior authority or power
  2. 2
    To exert an overwhelming guiding influence over something or someone
  3. 3
    To enjoy a commanding position in some field
  4. 4
    To overlook from a height.
  5. 5
    To precede another node of a directed graph in all paths from the start of the graph to the other node.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dominātus, perfect active participle of dominor (“to rule, have dominion”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from dominus (“lord, master”) + -or (verb-forming suffix).

This word in other languages

dominar(Español)dominer(Français)dominieren(Deutsch)dominar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddominate,dmoinate,doimnate,domiante,dominaet,dominatte,dominnate,domintae,domminate,domniate,odminate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddominate1dmoinate2doimnate2domiante2dominaet2dominatte1dominnate1domintae2
Edit distance from "dominate"

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 "dominate"?
"dominate" is spelled D-O-M-I-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɒm.ɪ.neɪt/.
What does "dominate" mean?
As a verb, "dominate" means: To govern, rule or control by superior authority or power
What words are commonly confused with "dominate"?
"dominate" is commonly confused with "donate", "dominated", "dominant". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dominate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dominate" is /ˈdɒm.ɪ.neɪt/. 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 "dominate"?
Borrowed from Latin dominātus, perfect active participle of dominor (“to rule, have dominion”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from dominus (“lord, master”) + -or (verb-forming suffix). 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 “dominate”

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

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