negotiate

/nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/

//nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt// verb

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

"negotiate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“negotiate” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,252 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#7,252
frequency rank, English
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To confer with others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

negotiate vs negotiator
80% similar
negotiate vs negotiable
80% similar

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

Key facts for negotiate
PropertyValue
Headwordnegotiate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#7,252
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “negotiate” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for negotiate is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,252 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for negotiate, with forms such as "engotiate", "neggotiate", and "negoitate". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "negotiator", "negotiable", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: c. 1598; borrowed from Latin negōtiātus, perfect active participle of negōtior (“to do business, trade”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from negotium (“business”) + -or, from nec (“not”) + otium (“leisure, ease, inactivity”). The correct English form is negotiate, spelled N-E-G-O-T-I-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To confer with others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement.
  2. 2
    To arrange or settle something by mutual agreement.
  3. 3
    To succeed in coping with, getting over or navigate a hazard or obstacle.
  4. 4
    To transfer to another person with all the rights of the original holder; to pass, as a bill.
  5. 5
    To transact business; to carry on trade.
  6. 6
    To intrigue; to scheme.

Etymology

c. 1598; borrowed from Latin negōtiātus, perfect active participle of negōtior (“to do business, trade”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from negotium (“business”) + -or, from nec (“not”) + otium (“leisure, ease, inactivity”).

This word in other languages

negociar(Español)négocier(Français)verhandeln(Deutsch)negociar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: engotiate,neggotiate,negoitate,negotaite,negotiaet,negotiatte,negotitae,negottiate,negtoiate,neogtiate,ngeotiate,nnegotiate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of negotiate - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

engotiate2neggotiate1negoitate2negotaite2negotiaet2negotiatte1negotitae2negottiate1
Edit distance from "negotiate"

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 "negotiate"?
"negotiate" is spelled N-E-G-O-T-I-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/.
What does "negotiate" mean?
As a verb, "negotiate" means: To confer with others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement.
What words are commonly confused with "negotiate"?
"negotiate" is commonly confused with "negotiator", "negotiable". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "negotiate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "negotiate" is /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/. 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 "negotiate"?
c. 1598; borrowed from Latin negōtiātus, perfect active participle of negōtior (“to do business, trade”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from negotium (“business”) + -or, from nec (“not”) + otium (“leisure, ease, inactivity”). 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.

Using “negotiate”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is N-E-G-O-T-I-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “negotiator” - see the side-by-side comparison. negotiate vs negotiator
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list