obligate

/ˈɒb.lɪˌɡeɪt/

//ˈɒb.lɪˌɡeɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“obligate” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #48,936. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#48,936
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To bind, compel, constrain, or oblige by a social, legal, or moral tie.

Corpus desk

Index EN-obligate · obligate · English

obligate · rank #48,936 · 11 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #48,936
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH Oban

Nearest frequency peer: Oban (-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 “obligate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “obligate” 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).

obligate vs oblige
75% similar
obligate vs obligated
89% similar

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

Key facts for obligate
PropertyValue
Headwordobligate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɒb.lɪˌɡeɪt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#48,936
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “obligate”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).obligatelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Oban” (#48,935), “obstetric” (#48,937), “nuptial” (#48,934). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “obligate” is #48,936. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around obligate (IPA /ˈɒb.lɪˌɡeɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #48,936 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for obligate, with forms such as "boligate", "obbligate", and "obilgate". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "oblige", "obligated", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1533; borrowed from Latin obligātus, perfect passive participle of obligō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of oblige, taken through French. The correct English form is obligate, spelled O-B-L-I-G-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To bind, compel, constrain, or oblige by a social, legal, or moral tie.
  2. 2
    To cause to be grateful or indebted; to oblige.
  3. 3
    To commit (money, for example) in order to fulfill an obligation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. That progress has taken over ten years and £20 million to bring to fruition. But, as Mands explains, the journey has been one that HSG has been almost obligated to undertake. "First and foremost, this is an environmental project," she says.

Etymology

First attested in 1533; borrowed from Latin obligātus, perfect passive participle of obligō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of oblige, taken through French.

Synonyms

also: force: Synonyms

This word in other languages

obligar(Español)obrigação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • boligate
  • obbligate
  • obilgate
  • oblgiate
  • obliagte
  • obligaet
  • obligatte
  • obliggate
  • obligtae
  • oblligate
  • olbigate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

boligate2obbligate1obilgate2oblgiate2obliagte2obligaet2obligatte1obliggate1
Edit distance from "obligate"

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 "obligate"?
"obligate" is spelled O-B-L-I-G-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒb.lɪˌɡeɪt/.
What does "obligate" mean?
As a verb, "obligate" means: To bind, compel, constrain, or oblige by a social, legal, or moral tie.
What words are commonly confused with "obligate"?
"obligate" is commonly confused with "oblige", "obligated". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "obligate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obligate" is /ˈɒb.lɪˌɡeɪt/. 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 "obligate"?
First attested in 1533; borrowed from Latin obligātus, perfect passive participle of obligō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of oblige, taken through French. 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 "obligate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

numeracy#48,933Okanagan#48,940Oldfield#48,941Nicolson#48,923

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Newhouse11 variantsneurosis11 variantsnematode11 variantsNapster11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list