illustrate

/ˈɪl.jʊˌstɹeɪt/

//ˈɪl.jʊˌstɹeɪt// verb

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

"illustrate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“illustrate” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,044. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,044
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To clarify something by giving, or serving as, an example or a comparison.

Corpus desk

Index EN-illustrate · illustrate · English

illustrate · rank #11,044 · 13 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,044
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH hourly

Nearest frequency peer: hourly (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “illustrate”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “illustrate” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

illustrate vs illustrated
91% similar
illustrate vs illustrator
82% similar
illustrate vs illustrative
83% similar

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

Key facts for illustrate
PropertyValue
Headwordillustrate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɪl.jʊˌstɹeɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#11,044
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “illustrate”

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).illustratelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “hourly” (#11,043), “IMO” (#11,045), “hopeless” (#11,042). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “illustrate” is #11,044. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around illustrate (IPA /ˈɪl.jʊˌstɹeɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #11,044 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for illustrate, with forms such as "illsutrate", "illusrtate", and "illusstrate". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "illustrated", "illustrator", "illustrative", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from illustration. The correct English form is illustrate, spelled I-L-L-U-S-T-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To clarify something by giving, or serving as, an example or a comparison.
  2. 2
    To provide a book or other publication with pictures, diagrams or other explanatory or decorative features.
  3. 3
    To shed light upon.
  4. 4
    To give renown or honour to; to make illustrious.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We illustrate our definitions by including quotations or simple examples.
  2. To prove him, and illustrate his high worth.

Etymology

Back-formation from illustration.

This word in other languages

ilustrar(Español)illustrer(Français)illustrieren(Deutsch)ilustrar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • illsutrate
  • illusrtate
  • illusstrate
  • illustarte
  • illustraet
  • illustratte
  • illustrrate
  • illustrtae
  • illusttrate
  • illutsrate
  • ilulstrate
  • ilustrate
  • lilustrate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of illustrate - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

illsutrate2illusrtate2illusstrate1illustarte2illustraet2illustratte1illustrrate1illustrtae2
Edit distance from "illustrate"

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 "illustrate"?
"illustrate" is spelled I-L-L-U-S-T-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪl.jʊˌstɹeɪt/.
What does "illustrate" mean?
As a verb, "illustrate" means: To clarify something by giving, or serving as, an example or a comparison.
What words are commonly confused with "illustrate"?
"illustrate" is commonly confused with "illustrated", "illustrator", "illustrative". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "illustrate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "illustrate" is /ˈɪl.jʊˌstɹeɪt/. 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 "illustrate"?
Back-formation from illustration. 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 "illustrate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

indirectly#11,047fulfilling#11,034engineered#11,030emphasized#11,028

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

hazardous13 variantsfriction13 variantsenergetic13 variantsdownward13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list