fascinate

/ˈfæsɪneɪt/

//ˈfæsɪneɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“fascinate” is uncommon English (frequency #52,311 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,311
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To evoke an intense interest or attraction in someone.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fascinate · fascinate · English

fascinate · rank #52,311 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,311
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH Farooq

Nearest frequency peer: Farooq (-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 “fascinate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for fascinate
PropertyValue
Headwordfascinate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈfæsɪneɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#52,311
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “fascinate” 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).fascinatefalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Farooq” (#52,310), “Fauci” (#52,312), “femdom” (#52,313). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fascinate” is #52,311. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

fascinate is uncommon English at frequency #52,311 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈfæsɪneɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for fascinate in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin fascinātus, perfect passive participle of fascinō (“to enchant, bewitch, fascinate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from fascinum (“a phallus-shaped amulet worn around the neck in Ancient Rome; witchcraft”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix),… The correct English form is fascinate, spelled F-A-S-C-I-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To evoke an intense interest or attraction in someone.
  2. 2
    To make someone hold motionless; to spellbind.
  3. 3
    To be irresistibly charming or attractive to.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The flickering TV fascinated the cat.
  2. We were fascinated by the potter's skill.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin fascinātus, perfect passive participle of fascinō (“to enchant, bewitch, fascinate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from fascinum (“a phallus-shaped amulet worn around the neck in Ancient Rome; witchcraft”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), itself of obscure origin.

This word in other languages

fascinar(Español)fasciner(Français)faszinieren(Deutsch)fascinar(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 "fascinate"?
"fascinate" is spelled F-A-S-C-I-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfæsɪneɪt/.
What does "fascinate" mean?
As a verb, "fascinate" means: To evoke an intense interest or attraction in someone.
How do you pronounce "fascinate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fascinate" is /ˈfæsɪneɪt/. 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 "fascinate"?
Borrowed from Latin fascinātus, perfect passive participle of fascinō (“to enchant, bewitch, fascinate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from fascinum (“a phallus-shaped amulet worn around the neck in Ancient Rome; witchcraft”) + -ō (verb-formin... 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 "fascinate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

facetious#52,307footloose#52,322foreclose#52,324forecourt#52,325

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list