migrate
/maɪˈɡɹeɪt/
"migrate" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“migrate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,531 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #16,531
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
- 5
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To relocate periodically from one region to another, usually according to the seasons.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | migrate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /maɪˈɡɹeɪt/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #16,531 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 5 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “migrate” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for migrate is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /maɪˈɡɹeɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,531 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1To relocate periodically from one region to another, usually according to the seasons.
- 2To change one's geographic pattern of habitation.
- 3To change habitations across a border; to move from one country or political region to another.
- 4To move slowly towards, usually in groups.
- 5To move gradually, especially from an intended to an unintended position.
- 6To move computer code or files from one computer or network to another.
- 7To induce customers to shift purchases from one set of a company's related products to another.
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
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.
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 “migrate”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is M-I-G-R-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /maɪˈɡɹeɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “mirage” - see the side-by-side comparison. migrate vs mirage
- 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.