isolate
i·so·late/ˈaɪ.sə.leɪt/verb, noun, adjective
isolate is spelled I-S-O-L-A-T-E: 7 letters and 3 syllables (i·so·late). It appears 4.0 times per million words in written English, the 12,940th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, isolate means “To set apart or cut off from others” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in isolate?
| Letters | 7: I-S-O-L-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: i·so·late |
| In writing | 4.0 times per million words; the 12,940th 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 isolate?
Isolate appears 4.0 times per million words in written English, the 12,940th 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 isolate?
- /ˈaɪ.sə.leɪt/
As a noun (“Something that has been isolated”): /ˈaɪ.sə.lət/.
Isolate has 3 syllables, split i·so·late in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-isolate.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-isolate.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of isolate
- isolates present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- isolating participle, present
- isolated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does isolate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To set apart or cut off from others.
- 2
To place in quarantine or isolation.
- 3
To separate a substance in pure form from a mixture.
- 4
To insulate, or make free of external influence.
- 5
To separate a pure strain of bacteria etc. from a mixed culture.
- 6
To insulate an electrical component from a source of electricity.
- 7
To self-isolate.
noun
- 1
Something that has been isolated.
adjective
- 1
isolated.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Isolate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | isoler, esseuler |
| German | isolieren, absondern, abdichten |
| Portuguese | isolar , isolado |
| Spanish | aislar , aislado |
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 isolate come from?
Back-formation from isolated, from French isolé, from Italian isolato, from Latin īnsulātus (whence also insulate), see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).