eliminate

/ɪˈlɪm.ɪ.neɪt/

//ɪˈlɪm.ɪ.neɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“eliminate” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,594 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#5,594
frequency rank, English
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To completely remove, get rid of, put an end to.

Key facts for eliminate
PropertyValue
Headwordeliminate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪˈlɪm.ɪ.neɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#5,594
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “eliminate” 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). eliminate 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 eliminate is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪˈlɪm.ɪ.neɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,594 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for eliminate, with forms such as "eilminate", "eliimnate", and "elimiante". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin ēlīminātus, perfect passive participle of ēlīminō (“to turn out of doors, banish”), from ē- + līmen (“a threshold”, līmin- in compounds) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), akin to Latin līmes (… The correct English form is eliminate, spelled E-L-I-M-I-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To completely remove, get rid of, put an end to.
  2. 2
    To render (a facility) unusable, to destroy it; to disable (a soldier), make them unable to fight (typically but not necessarily by killing)
  3. 3
    To kill (a person or animal).
  4. 4
    To excrete (waste products).
  5. 5
    To exclude (from investigation or from further competition).
  6. 6
    To record amounts in a consolidation statement to remove the effects of inter-company transactions.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ēlīminātus, perfect passive participle of ēlīminō (“to turn out of doors, banish”), from ē- + līmen (“a threshold”, līmin- in compounds) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), akin to Latin līmes (“a boundary”); see also English limit and limen.

This word in other languages

eliminar(Español)éliminer(Français)eliminieren(Deutsch)eliminar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eilminate,eliimnate,elimiante,eliminaet,eliminatte,eliminnate,elimintae,elimminate,elimniate,elliminate,elmiinate,leiminate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eilminate2eliimnate2elimiante2eliminaet2eliminatte1eliminnate1elimintae2elimminate1
Edit distance from "eliminate"

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 "eliminate"?
"eliminate" is spelled E-L-I-M-I-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈlɪm.ɪ.neɪt/.
What does "eliminate" mean?
As a verb, "eliminate" means: To completely remove, get rid of, put an end to.
What are common misspellings of "eliminate"?
Common misspellings include "eilminate", "eliimnate", "elimiante", "eliminaet", "eliminatte". The correct spelling is "eliminate".
How do you pronounce "eliminate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "eliminate" is /ɪˈlɪm.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 "eliminate"?
Borrowed from Latin ēlīminātus, perfect passive participle of ēlīminō (“to turn out of doors, banish”), from ē- + līmen (“a threshold”, līmin- in compounds) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), akin to Lat... 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 “eliminate”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-L-I-M-I-N-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪˈlɪm.ɪ.neɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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