passionate

/ˈpæʃənɪt/

//ˈpæʃənɪt// adj

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

"passionate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“passionate” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,169 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#6,169
frequency rank, English
10
letters
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Given to strong feeling, sometimes romantic, sexual, or both.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

passionate vs passionately
83% similar

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

Key facts for passionate
PropertyValue
Headwordpassionate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpæʃənɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#6,169
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “passionate” 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). passionate 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 passionate is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpæʃənɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,169 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 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 passionate, with forms such as "apssionate", "pasionate", and "pasisonate". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "passionately", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English passionat, from Medieval Latin passiōnātus (“affected, impassioned, libidinous, easely angered”). Equivalent to passion + -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Compare French passionné. The correct English form is passionate, spelled P-A-S-S-I-O-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Given to strong feeling, sometimes romantic, sexual, or both.
  2. 2
    Fired with intense feeling.
  3. 3
    Suffering; sorrowful.

Etymology

From Middle English passionat, from Medieval Latin passiōnātus (“affected, impassioned, libidinous, easely angered”). Equivalent to passion + -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Compare French passionné.

This word in other languages

apasionado(Español)passionné(Français)leidenschaftlich(Deutsch)ardente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apssionate,pasionate,pasisonate,passinoate,passioante,passionaet,passionatte,passionnate,passiontae,passoinate,ppassionate,psasionate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

apssionate2pasionate1pasisonate2passinoate2passioante2passionaet2passionatte1passionnate1
Edit distance from "passionate"

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 "passionate"?
"passionate" is spelled P-A-S-S-I-O-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpæʃənɪt/.
What does "passionate" mean?
As an adjective, "passionate" means: Given to strong feeling, sometimes romantic, sexual, or both.
What words are commonly confused with "passionate"?
"passionate" is commonly confused with "passionately". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "passionate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "passionate" is /ˈpæʃənɪt/. 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 "passionate"?
From Middle English passionat, from Medieval Latin passiōnātus (“affected, impassioned, libidinous, easely angered”). Equivalent to passion + -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Compare French passionné. 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 “passionate”

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

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