emote

/ɪˈməʊt/

//ɪˈməʊt// verb

"emote" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“emote” is uncommon English (frequency #55,412 among 18,836 “E” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,412
frequency rank, English
18,836
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To display or express (emotions, mental states, etc.) openly, particularly while acting, and especially in an excessive manner.

Corpus desk

Index EN-emote · emote · English

emote · rank #55,412 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #55,412
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 18,836
  • PHOTO-FINISH Elysian

Nearest frequency peer: Elysian (-2 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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “emote”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “emote” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for emote
PropertyValue
Headwordemote
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪˈməʊt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#55,412
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “emote” 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). emote lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

emote is uncommon English at frequency #55,412 among 18,836 “E” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɪˈməʊt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for emote in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: The verb is a back-formation from emotion. The noun is derived from the verb. The correct English form is emote, spelled E-M-O-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To display or express (emotions, mental states, etc.) openly, particularly while acting, and especially in an excessive manner.
  2. 2
    To deliver (a speech), say (lines of a play, words), etc., in a dramatic or emotional manner, especially if overly so.
  3. 3
    To display (excessive) emotion, especially while acting.
  4. 4
    To express a virtual action, presented to other users as a graphic or reported speech, rather than sending a straightforward message.
  5. 5
    To perform a short action, such as a gesture or a dance move, which may be seen by other players but does not have any effect on gameplay.

Etymology

The verb is a back-formation from emotion. The noun is derived from the verb.

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "emote"?
"emote" is spelled E-M-O-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈməʊt/.
What does "emote" mean?
As a verb, "emote" means: To display or express (emotions, mental states, etc.) openly, particularly while acting, and especially in an excessive manner.
How do you pronounce "emote"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "emote" is /ɪˈməʊt/. 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 "emote"?
The verb is a back-formation from emotion. The noun is derived from the verb. 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 "emote", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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