germinate
/ˈd͡ʒɜː(ɹ)mɪneɪt/
"germinate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“germinate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #45,394 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #45,394
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of a seed, to begin to grow, to sprout roots and leaves.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | germinate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈd͡ʒɜː(ɹ)mɪneɪt/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #45,394 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “germinate” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for germinate is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈd͡ʒɜː(ɹ)mɪneɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #45,394 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for germinate, with forms such as "egrminate", "gemrinate", and "gerimnate". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin germinātus, perfect passive participle of germinō (“to sprout”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). The correct English form is germinate, spelled G-E-R-M-I-N-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1Of a seed, to begin to grow, to sprout roots and leaves.
- 2To cause to grow; to produce.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin germinātus, perfect passive participle of germinō (“to sprout”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: egrminate,gemrinate,gerimnate,germiante,germinaet,germinatte,germinnate,germintae,germminate,germniate,gerrminate,ggerminate,greminate
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of germinate - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 "germinate"?
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Using “germinate”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is G-E-R-M-I-N-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈd͡ʒɜː(ɹ)mɪneɪt/ (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.