oscillate

/ˈɑsɪleɪt/

//ˈɑsɪleɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“oscillate” is uncommon English (frequency #58,254 among 1,431 “O” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,254
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To swing back and forth, especially if with a regular rhythm.

Corpus desk

Index EN-oscillate · oscillate · English

oscillate · rank #58,254 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,254
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH Oshawa

Nearest frequency peer: Oshawa (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “oscillate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “oscillate” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for oscillate
PropertyValue
Headwordoscillate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɑsɪleɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#58,254
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “oscillate” in English

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

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “Oshawa” (#58,255), “Oster” (#58,256), “outa” (#58,258). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “oscillate” is #58,254. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

oscillate is uncommon English at frequency #58,254 among 1,431 “O” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈɑsɪleɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for oscillate in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1726; borrowed from Latin ōscillātus, perfect passive participle of Latin ōscillō (“to swing”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ōscillum (“a swing”), usually identified with ōscillum (“a little face or mask hung on a tree that sways … The correct English form is oscillate, spelled O-S-C-I-L-L-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To swing back and forth, especially if with a regular rhythm.
  2. 2
    To vacillate between conflicting opinions, etc.
  3. 3
    To vary above and below a mean value.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A pendulum oscillates slower as it gets longer.
  2. By placing the 0.02μF capacitor on top of the whistle chip, the circuit oscillates at a lower frequency.

Etymology

First attested in 1726; borrowed from Latin ōscillātus, perfect passive participle of Latin ōscillō (“to swing”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ōscillum (“a swing”), usually identified with ōscillum (“a little face or mask hung on a tree that sways with the wind”), diminutive of ōs (“mouth, face”). Doublet of osculate.

Synonyms

vacillate

This word in other languages

oscilar(Español)osciller(Français)schwingen(Deutsch)oscilar(Português)

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 "oscillate"?
"oscillate" is spelled O-S-C-I-L-L-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɑsɪleɪt/.
What does "oscillate" mean?
As a verb, "oscillate" means: To swing back and forth, especially if with a regular rhythm.
How do you pronounce "oscillate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "oscillate" is /ˈɑsɪleɪt/. 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 "oscillate"?
First attested in 1726; borrowed from Latin ōscillātus, perfect passive participle of Latin ōscillō (“to swing”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ōscillum (“a swing”), usually identified with ōscillum (“a little face or mask hung on a tree t... 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 "oscillate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Oldenburg#58,249Pasternak#58,268Nishikori#58,238nauseated#58,228

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list