insulate
in·su·late/ˈɪnsʊleɪt/verb, adjective
insulate is spelled I-N-S-U-L-A-T-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables (in·su·late). It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 35,748th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, insulate means “To separate, detach, or isolate” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in insulate?
| Letters | 8: I-N-S-U-L-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: in·su·late |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 35,748th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is insulate?
Insulate appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 35,748th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce insulate?
- UK /ˈɪnsjʊleɪt/
- UK /ˈɪnʃʊleɪt/
- US /ˈɪnsʊleɪt/
Insulate has 3 syllables, split in·su·late in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-insulate.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of insulate
- insulates present, singular, he/she/it
- insulating participle, present
- insulated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does insulate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To separate, detach, or isolate.
- 2
To separate a body or material from others, e.g. by non-conductors to prevent the transfer of electricity, heat, etc.
Ceramic can be used to insulate power lines.
adjective
- 1
Of pollen or spores, with superficial ornamentation grouped in circular or polygonal areas separated by grooves.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Insulate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does insulate come from?
From Latin īnsula (“isle, island”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix) or from Late Latin īnsulātus (“made an island”), see etymology at -ate. First attested in the 16th century; the general verb īnsulō (“insulate”) is attested only in New Latin and postdates the English term, but influence from an otherwise unattested Medieval Latin counterpart cannot be ruled out. Piecewise doublet of isolate.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).