iterate
/ˈɪtəɹeɪt/
"iterate" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“iterate” is an uncommon English word, ranked #52,416 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #52,416
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To perform or repeat an action on each item in a set.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | iterate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈɪtəɹeɪt/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #52,416 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “iterate” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for iterate is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɪtəɹeɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #52,416 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1To perform or repeat an action on each item in a set.
- 2To perform or repeat an action on the results of each such prior action.
- 3To utter or do a second time or many times; to repeat.
- 4To repeat an activity, making incremental changes each time.
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
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
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Using “iterate”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is I-T-E-R-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɪtəɹeɪt/ (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.