intoxicate
/ɪnˈtɒksɪkeɪt/
"intoxicate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“intoxicate” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To stupefy by doping with chemical substances such as alcohol.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | intoxicate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɪnˈtɒksɪkeɪt/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “intoxicate” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for intoxicate is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnˈtɒksɪkeɪt/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for intoxicate, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1450, in Middle English; from Middle English intoxicaten, from intoxicat(e) (“(of a weapon or drug) smeared, anointed or filled with poison; (of a human being, animal) poisoned, intoxicated”, also used as the past participle of intoxicaten… The correct English form is intoxicate, spelled I-N-T-O-X-I-C-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1To stupefy by doping with chemical substances such as alcohol.
- 2To excite to enthusiasm or madness.
Etymology
First attested in 1450, in Middle English; from Middle English intoxicaten, from intoxicat(e) (“(of a weapon or drug) smeared, anointed or filled with poison; (of a human being, animal) poisoned, intoxicated”, also used as the past participle of intoxicaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from intoxicātus, perfect passive participle of intoxicō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from Late Latin toxicō (“to smear, anoint with poison”), from toxicus (“toxic, poisonous”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), from Ancient Greek τοξικόν (toxikón). By surface analysis, in- + toxic + -ate.
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “intoxicate”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is I-N-T-O-X-I-C-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɪnˈtɒksɪkeɪt/ (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.