penetrate

Name: penetrate, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈpɛnɪtɹeɪt/

//ˈpɛnɪtɹeɪt// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“penetrate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,977 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#13,977
frequency rank, English: 9
letters: 13
tracked misspellings: 1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To enter into; to make way into the interior of; to pierce.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

penetrate vs penetrated

90% similar

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

Key facts for penetrate
Property	Value
Headword	penetrate
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/ˈpɛnɪtɹeɪt/
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#13,977
Misspellings tracked	13
Confusable pairs	1
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “penetrate” 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). penetrate lands here:

#13,977

#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 penetrate is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɛnɪtɹeɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,977 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for penetrate, with forms such as "epnetrate", "peentrate", and "penertate". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "penetrated", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin penētrātus, perfect passive participle of penētrō (“to put, set, or place within, enter, pierce, penetrate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from penes (“within, with”) by analogy to intrō (“to go in, enter”). Compare French pénétrer. The correct English form is penetrate, spelled P-E-N-E-T-R-A-T-E.

Definition

1
To enter into; to make way into the interior of; to pierce.
2
To achieve understanding of, despite some obstacle; to comprehend; to understand.
3
To affect profoundly through the senses or feelings; to move deeply.
4
To infiltrate an enemy to gather intelligence.
5
To insert the penis into an orifice, such as a vagina, mouth, or anus.
6
To move a piece past the defending pieces of one's opponent.

Etymology

From Latin penētrātus, perfect passive participle of penētrō (“to put, set, or place within, enter, pierce, penetrate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from penes (“within, with”) by analogy to intrō (“to go in, enter”). Compare French pénétrer.

This word in other languages

penetrar(Español)pénétrer(Français)eindringen(Deutsch)penetrar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epnetrate,peentrate,penertate,penetarte,penetraet,penetratte,penetrrate,penetrtae,penettrate,pennetrate,penterate,pneetrate,ppenetrate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of penetrate - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

Edit distance from "penetrate"

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 "penetrate"?

"penetrate" is spelled P-E-N-E-T-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɛnɪtɹeɪt/.

What does "penetrate" mean?

As a verb, "penetrate" means: To enter into; to make way into the interior of; to pierce.

What words are commonly confused with "penetrate"?

"penetrate" is commonly confused with "penetrated". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "penetrate"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "penetrate" is /ˈpɛnɪtɹeɪt/. 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 "penetrate"?

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 “penetrate”

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

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