grate

/ɡɹeɪt/

//ɡɹeɪt// noun

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

"grate" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“grate” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,284. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,284
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A horizontal metal grill through which liquid, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.

Corpus desk

Index EN-grate · grate · English

grate · rank #23,284 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,284
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH grapefruit

Nearest frequency peer: grapefruit (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “grate”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “grate” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

grate vs GRE
0% similar
grate vs grt
60% similar
grate vs gray
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for grate
PropertyValue
Headwordgrate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡɹeɪt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#23,284
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “grate” sits in English frequency

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).grate lands here:

#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. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around grate (IPA /ɡɹeɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,284 among 2,313 “G” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for grate, with forms such as "garte", "ggrate", and "gratte". 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. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "GRE", "grt", "gray", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English grate, from a Medieval Latin crāta, from a Latin word for a hurdle; or Italian grata, from Latin cratis. The correct English form is grate, spelled G-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A horizontal metal grill through which liquid, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.
  2. 2
    A frame or bed, or kind of basket, of iron bars, for holding fuel while burning.
  3. 3
    A grapper, a metal ring on a lance behind the grip.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The grate stopped the sheep from escaping from their field.
  2. a secret grate of iron bars

Etymology

From Middle English grate, from a Medieval Latin crāta, from a Latin word for a hurdle; or Italian grata, from Latin cratis.

Synonyms

grill

This word in other languages

rejilla(Español)Rost(Deutsch)grade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • garte
  • ggrate
  • gratte
  • grrate
  • grtae
  • rgate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of grate - 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.

garte2ggrate1gratte1grrate1grtae2rgate2
Edit distance from "grate"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "grate"?
"grate" is spelled G-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɹeɪt/.
What does "grate" mean?
As a noun, "grate" means: A horizontal metal grill through which liquid, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.
What words are commonly confused with "grate"?
"grate" is commonly confused with "GRE", "grt", "gray". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "grate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "grate" is /ɡɹeɪt/. 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 "grate"?
From Middle English grate, from a Medieval Latin crāta, from a Latin word for a hurdle; or Italian grata, from Latin cratis. 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 "grate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Guido#23,288felon#23,270hilly#23,300Howie#23,305

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Hahn6 variantsErika6 variantsHyatt6 variantspaine6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "grate". Here's where to go from here.

  • "grate" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "GRE". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #23,284 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "G" letter cohort. G–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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