migrate

/maɪˈɡɹeɪt/

//maɪˈɡɹeɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“migrate” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,531. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,531
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To relocate periodically from one region to another, usually according to the seasons.

Corpus desk

Index EN-migrate · migrate · English

migrate · rank #16,531 · 10 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,531
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH mildly

Nearest frequency peer: mildly (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “migrate”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “migrate” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

migrate vs mirage
71% similar
migrate vs migrant
71% similar
migrate vs McGrath
43% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for migrate
PropertyValue
Headwordmigrate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/maɪˈɡɹeɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#16,531
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “migrate”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).migratelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “mildly” (#16,532), “miraculous” (#16,533), “mead” (#16,528). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “migrate” is #16,531. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around migrate (IPA /maɪˈɡɹeɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #16,531 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for migrate, with forms such as "imgrate", "mgirate", and "migarte". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "mirage", "migrant", "McGrath", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin migrātus, perfect passive participle of migrō (“to migrate, change, transport”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). The correct English form is migrate, spelled M-I-G-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To relocate periodically from one region to another, usually according to the seasons.
  2. 2
    To change one's geographic pattern of habitation.
  3. 3
    To change habitations across a border; to move from one country or political region to another.
  4. 4
    To move slowly towards, usually in groups.
  5. 5
    To move gradually, especially from an intended to an unintended position.
  6. 6
    To move computer code or files from one computer or network to another.
  7. 7
    To induce customers to shift purchases from one set of a company's related products to another.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Twice a year the geese migrate — from Florida to Canada and back again.
  2. Twice a year the Minnesotans migrate from their state to the Gulf of Mexico.

Etymology

First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin migrātus, perfect passive participle of migrō (“to migrate, change, transport”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

This word in other languages

migrar(Español)migrieren(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imgrate
  • mgirate
  • migarte
  • miggrate
  • migraet
  • migratte
  • migrrate
  • migrtae
  • mirgate
  • mmigrate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of migrate - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

imgrate2mgirate2migarte2miggrate1migraet2migratte1migrrate1migrtae2
Edit distance from "migrate"

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 "migrate"?
"migrate" is spelled M-I-G-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /maɪˈɡɹeɪt/.
What does "migrate" mean?
As a verb, "migrate" means: To relocate periodically from one region to another, usually according to the seasons.
What words are commonly confused with "migrate"?
"migrate" is commonly confused with "mirage", "migrant", "McGrath". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "migrate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "migrate" is /maɪˈɡɹeɪt/. 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 "migrate"?
First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin migrātus, perfect passive participle of migrō (“to migrate, change, transport”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). 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 "migrate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

moaning#16,534mundane#16,539lyrical#16,522lunatic#16,521

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

mildly10 variantsLucifer10 variantsNielsen10 variantsjuniors10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list