elaborate

/ɪˈlæb.(ə.)ɹət/

//ɪˈlæb.(ə.)ɹət// adj

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

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

The verdict

“elaborate” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,464. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,464
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Complex, detailed, or sophisticated.

Corpus desk

Index EN-elaborate · elaborate · English

elaborate · rank #6,464 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,464
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH donated

Nearest frequency peer: donated (-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 “elaborate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “elaborate” 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).

elaborate vs evaporate
78% similar
elaborate vs elaborately
82% similar

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

Key facts for elaborate
PropertyValue
Headwordelaborate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪˈlæb.(ə.)ɹət/
Letters9
Frequency rank#6,464
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “elaborate”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “donated” (#6,463), “elder” (#6,465), “doll” (#6,462). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “elaborate” is #6,464. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around elaborate (IPA /ɪˈlæb.(ə.)ɹət/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #6,464 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for elaborate, with forms such as "ealborate", "elabborate", and "elaboarte". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "evaporate", "elaborately", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: 1575, from Late Latin ēlabōrātus (“worked out”), past participle of ēlabōrō (“to work out”), from ē- (“out, forth, fully”) + labor (“work, toil, exertion”). More at e-, labour. The correct English form is elaborate, spelled E-L-A-B-O-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Complex, detailed, or sophisticated.
  2. 2
    Intricate, fancy, flashy, or showy.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. After reading a long, elaborate description, I was impressed but no wiser.
  2. I stared for hours at the elaborate pattern in the rug.

Etymology

1575, from Late Latin ēlabōrātus (“worked out”), past participle of ēlabōrō (“to work out”), from ē- (“out, forth, fully”) + labor (“work, toil, exertion”). More at e-, labour.

This word in other languages

elaborado(Español)ausführlich(Deutsch)detalhado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ealborate
  • elabborate
  • elaboarte
  • elaboraet
  • elaboratte
  • elaborrate
  • elabortae
  • elabroate
  • elaobrate
  • elbaorate
  • ellaborate
  • leaborate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of elaborate - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ealborate2elabborate1elaboarte2elaboraet2elaboratte1elaborrate1elabortae2elabroate2
Edit distance from "elaborate"

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 "elaborate"?
"elaborate" is spelled E-L-A-B-O-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈlæb.(ə.)ɹət/.
What does "elaborate" mean?
As an adjective, "elaborate" means: Complex, detailed, or sophisticated.
What words are commonly confused with "elaborate"?
"elaborate" is commonly confused with "evaporate", "elaborately". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "elaborate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "elaborate" is /ɪˈlæb.(ə.)ɹət/. 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 "elaborate"?
1575, from Late Latin ēlabōrātus (“worked out”), past participle of ēlabōrō (“to work out”), from ē- (“out, forth, fully”) + labor (“work, toil, exertion”). More at e-, labour. 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 "elaborate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

detection#6,461expertise#6,467exploring#6,468cigarette#6,449

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

detected12 variantsinsisted12 variantscemetery12 variantsallegedly12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list