entreat

/ɪnˈtɹiːt/

//ɪnˈtɹiːt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“entreat” is an uncommon English word, ranked #65,090 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#65,090
frequency rank, English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Senses relating to asking or pleading.

Key facts for entreat
PropertyValue
Headwordentreat
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈtɹiːt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#65,090
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “entreat” 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). entreat 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 entreat is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnˈtɹiːt/. Corpus data places it at rank #65,090 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

entreat doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: The verb is derived from Late Middle English entreten (“to deal with (someone) in a specified way; to concern oneself with (something); to deal with or give an account of (a topic); to engage in negotiation; to intercede for (someone); to plead with (someon… The correct English form is entreat, spelled E-N-T-R-E-A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Senses relating to asking or pleading.
  2. 2
    Senses relating to asking or pleading.
  3. 3
    Senses relating to asking or pleading.
  4. 4
    Senses relating to asking or pleading.
  5. 5
    Senses relating to asking or pleading.
  6. 6
    Senses relating to dealing with or negotiating.
  7. 7
    Senses relating to dealing with or negotiating.
  8. 8
    Senses relating to dealing with or negotiating.
  9. 9
    Senses relating to dealing with or negotiating.
  10. 10
    Senses relating to dealing with or negotiating.

Etymology

The verb is derived from Late Middle English entreten (“to deal with (someone) in a specified way; to concern oneself with (something); to deal with or give an account of (a topic); to engage in negotiation; to intercede for (someone); to plead with (someone)”), from Anglo-Norman entraiter, entretier (“to concern oneself with (something); to deal with (someone) in a specified manner; to have a conversation with (someone); to negotiate (with someone, or about something)”), Middle French entraiter, entraictier, and Old French entraictier (“to have a conversation with (someone); to concern oneself with (something)”), from en- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’) + traiter (“to be concerned with (something); to treat (someone) in a specified way”) (from Latin tractāre, the present active infinitive of tractō (“to handle, manage; to drag, haul”), from trahō (“to drag, pull; etc.”) (see that entry for the further etymology) + -tō (frequentative suffix)). The noun is derived from Late Middle English entrete (“agreement; negotiation; treatment of a subject in discourse”), from the verb.

This word in other languages

rogar(Español)

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 "entreat"?
"entreat" is spelled E-N-T-R-E-A-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈtɹiːt/.
What does "entreat" mean?
As a verb, "entreat" means: Senses relating to asking or pleading.
How do you pronounce "entreat"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "entreat" is /ɪnˈtɹiːt/. 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 "entreat"?
The verb is derived from Late Middle English entreten (“to deal with (someone) in a specified way; to concern oneself with (something); to deal with or give an account of (a topic); to engage in negotiation; to intercede for (someone); to plead wi... 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 “entreat”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-N-T-R-E-A-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪnˈtɹiːt/ (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