engrave

/ɪnˈɡɹeɪv/

//ɪnˈɡɹeɪv// verb

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

"engrave" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“engrave” is uncommon English (frequency #61,445 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#61,445
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To carve text or symbols into (something), usually for the purposes of identification or art.

Corpus desk

Index EN-engrave · engrave · English

engrave · rank #61,445 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #61,445
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH enjoined

Nearest frequency peer: enjoined (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “engrave”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “engrave” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for engrave
PropertyValue
Headwordengrave
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈɡɹeɪv/
Letters7
Frequency rank#61,445
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “engrave” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).engravefalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “enjoined” (#61,446), “ende” (#61,443), “equivocal” (#61,448). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “engrave” is #61,445. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

engrave is uncommon English at frequency #61,445 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɪnˈɡɹeɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

engrave has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From earlier ingrave, equivalent to en- + grave (“to carve, engrave”). More at grave. The correct English form is engrave, spelled E-N-G-R-A-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To carve text or symbols into (something), usually for the purposes of identification or art.
  2. 2
    To carve (something) into a material.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He engraved the plaque with his name.
  2. Elbows almost touching they leaned at ease, idly reading the almost obliterated lines engraved there. ¶ "I never understood it," she observed, lightly scornful. "What occult meaning has a sun-dial for the spooney? I'm sure I don't want to read riddles in a strange gentleman's optics."

Etymology

From earlier ingrave, equivalent to en- + grave (“to carve, engrave”). More at grave.

Synonyms

carveetchinscribe

This word in other languages

grabar(Español)graver(Français)gravieren(Deutsch)gravar(Português)

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 "engrave"?
"engrave" is spelled E-N-G-R-A-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈɡɹeɪv/.
What does "engrave" mean?
As a verb, "engrave" means: To carve text or symbols into (something), usually for the purposes of identification or art.
How do you pronounce "engrave"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "engrave" is /ɪnˈɡɹeɪv/. 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 "engrave"?
From earlier ingrave, equivalent to en- + grave (“to carve, engrave”). More at grave. 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 "engrave", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

elkhorn#61,440Eusebio#61,454Everard#61,456Drexler#61,427

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list