formate

/ˈfɔː(ɹ)meɪt/

//ˈfɔː(ɹ)meɪt// noun

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

The verdict

“formate” is an uncommon English word, ranked #88,350 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#88,350
frequency rank, English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any salt or ester of formic acid.

Key facts for formate
PropertyValue
Headwordformate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɔː(ɹ)meɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#88,350
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “formate” 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). formate 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 formate is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfɔː(ɹ)meɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #88,350 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Any salt or ester of formic acid.".

formate has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From formic + -ate (“salt or ester”). The correct English form is formate, spelled F-O-R-M-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any salt or ester of formic acid.

Etymology

From formic + -ate (“salt or ester”).

Synonyms

This word in other languages

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 "formate"?
"formate" is spelled F-O-R-M-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɔː(ɹ)meɪt/.
What does "formate" mean?
As a noun, "formate" means: Any salt or ester of formic acid.
How do you pronounce "formate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "formate" is /ˈfɔː(ɹ)meɪt/. 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 "formate"?
From formic + -ate (“salt or ester”). 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 “formate”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-M-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfɔː(ɹ)meɪt/ (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