iterate

/ˈɪtəɹeɪt/

//ˈɪtəɹeɪt// verb

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

"iterate" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“iterate” is uncommon English (frequency #52,416 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,416
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To perform or repeat an action on each item in a set.

Corpus desk

Index EN-iterate · iterate · English

iterate · rank #52,416 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,416
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH Islay

Nearest frequency peer: Islay (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “iterate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “iterate” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for iterate
PropertyValue
Headworditerate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɪtəɹeɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#52,416
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “iterate” in English

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).iteratefalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Islay” (#52,415), “ITF” (#52,417), “irreversibly” (#52,414). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “iterate” is #52,416. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

iterate is uncommon English at frequency #52,416 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈɪtəɹeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for iterate, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective is first attested in 1471, in Middle English, the verb in 1533, the noun in 1941; partly inherited from Middle English iterat(e) (adjective), partly borrowed from Latin iterātus, perfect passive participle of iterō (“to do something for a seco… The correct English form is iterate, spelled I-T-E-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To perform or repeat an action on each item in a set.
  2. 2
    To perform or repeat an action on the results of each such prior action.
  3. 3
    To utter or do a second time or many times; to repeat.
  4. 4
    To repeat an activity, making incremental changes each time.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The max() function iterates through the data to find the highest value.
  2. In mathematics, an iterated function is a function which is composed with itself, possibly ad infinitum, in a process called iteration.

Etymology

The adjective is first attested in 1471, in Middle English, the verb in 1533, the noun in 1941; partly inherited from Middle English iterat(e) (adjective), partly borrowed from Latin iterātus, perfect passive participle of iterō (“to do something for a second time, repeat”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3)) , from iterum (“again”) + -ō. Sporadical participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

This word in other languages

iterar(Español)itérer(Français)

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 "iterate"?
"iterate" is spelled I-T-E-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪtəɹeɪt/.
What does "iterate" mean?
As a verb, "iterate" means: To perform or repeat an action on each item in a set.
How do you pronounce "iterate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "iterate" is /ˈɪtəɹeɪt/. 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 "iterate"?
The adjective is first attested in 1471, in Middle English, the verb in 1533, the noun in 1941; partly inherited from Middle English iterat(e) (adjective), partly borrowed from Latin iterātus, perfect passive participle of iterō (“to do something ... 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 "iterate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

latrine#52,446hosiery#52,384legwork#52,451Hindley#52,377

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list