masticate
/ˈmæstɪkeɪt/
"masticate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“masticate” 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
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To chew (usually food).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | masticate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈmæstɪkeɪt/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “masticate” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for masticate is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmæstɪkeɪt/. 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.
Zero misspellings are on record for masticate in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin masticātus, perfect passive participle of masticō (“to chew”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Alternatively, back-formation from mastication, either ultimately from Ancient Greek μαστιχάω (mastikháō, “to grind the teeth”). Compare French mastiquer. The correct English form is masticate, spelled M-A-S-T-I-C-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1To chew (usually food).
- 2To grind or knead something into a pulp.
Etymology
From Latin masticātus, perfect passive participle of masticō (“to chew”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Alternatively, back-formation from mastication, either ultimately from Ancient Greek μαστιχάω (mastikháō, “to grind the teeth”). Compare French mastiquer.
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 “masticate”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is M-A-S-T-I-C-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈmæstɪkeɪt/ (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.