nominate

/ˈnɒm.ɪ.neɪt/

//ˈnɒm.ɪ.neɪt// verb

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

"nominate" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nominate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,569 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#13,569
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To name someone as a candidate for a particular role or position, including that of an office.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

nominate vs nominee
75% similar
nominate vs nominated
89% similar
nominate vs nominative
80% similar

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

Key facts for nominate
PropertyValue
Headwordnominate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈnɒm.ɪ.neɪt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#13,569
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nominate” 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). nominate 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 nominate is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnɒm.ɪ.neɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,569 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.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for nominate, with forms such as "nmoinate", "nnominate", and "noimnate". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "nominee", "nominated", "nominative", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *h₁nómn̥ The adjective is first attested in 1450, in Middle English, the verb in 1545; partly from Middle English nominat(e) (“named, designated”), from Latin nōminātus, perfect passive participle of nōminō (“to name”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 an… The correct English form is nominate, spelled N-O-M-I-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To name someone as a candidate for a particular role or position, including that of an office.
  2. 2
    To specify in advance which pocket a ball will be potted in; to call; to name.
  3. 3
    To designate a peer (or oneself) as corresponding to a (potentially positive or negative) description.
  4. 4
    To entitle, confer a name upon.

Etymology

PIE word *h₁nómn̥ The adjective is first attested in 1450, in Middle English, the verb in 1545; partly from Middle English nominat(e) (“named, designated”), from Latin nōminātus, perfect passive participle of nōminō (“to name”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3)), from nōmen (“a name”). Participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

Synonyms

benamedenominatenamespecify

This word in other languages

postular(Español)nommer(Français)nominieren(Deutsch)nomear(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: nmoinate,nnominate,noimnate,nomiante,nominaet,nominatte,nominnate,nomintae,nomminate,nomniate,onminate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nominate - 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.

nmoinate2nnominate1noimnate2nomiante2nominaet2nominatte1nominnate1nomintae2
Edit distance from "nominate"

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 "nominate"?
"nominate" is spelled N-O-M-I-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnɒm.ɪ.neɪt/.
What does "nominate" mean?
As a verb, "nominate" means: To name someone as a candidate for a particular role or position, including that of an office.
What words are commonly confused with "nominate"?
"nominate" is commonly confused with "nominee", "nominated", "nominative". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nominate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nominate" is /ˈnɒm.ɪ.neɪt/. 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 "nominate"?
PIE word *h₁nómn̥ The adjective is first attested in 1450, in Middle English, the verb in 1545; partly from Middle English nominat(e) (“named, designated”), from Latin nōminātus, perfect passive participle of nōminō (“to name”) (see -ate (etymolo... 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 “nominate”

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

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