ostentate
/ˈɒstənteɪt/
"ostentate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“ostentate” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make an ambitious display of; to exhibit or show boastingly.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | ostentate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈɒstənteɪt/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “ostentate” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for ostentate is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɒstənteɪt/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No misspelling variants are generated for ostentate in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin ostentātus, perfect passive participle of ostentō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), intensive from ostendō. Doublet of ostent. The correct English form is ostentate, spelled O-S-T-E-N-T-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1To make an ambitious display of; to exhibit or show boastingly.
- 2To boast, show off.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin ostentātus, perfect passive participle of ostentō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), intensive from ostendō. Doublet of ostent.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “ostentate”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is O-S-T-E-N-T-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɒstənteɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.