perambulate

/pəɹˈæmbjʊˌleɪt/

//pəɹˈæmbjʊˌleɪt// verb

"perambulate" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“perambulate” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To walk about, roam or stroll; to ambulate.

Corpus desk

Index EN-perambulate · perambulate · English

perambulate · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for perambulate
PropertyValue
Headwordperambulate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pəɹˈæmbjʊˌleɪt/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “perambulate” in English

perambulatefalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

perambulate is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /pəɹˈæmbjʊˌleɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

perambulate has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin perambulō, perambulātus. Equivalent to per- + ambulate. The correct English form is perambulate, spelled P-E-R-A-M-B-U-L-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To walk about, roam or stroll; to ambulate.
  2. 2
    To inspect (an area) on foot.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Take, for instance, one of the most wretched classes of the community, the poor fellows who perambulate the streets as Sandwich Men. These are farmed out by certain firms.
  2. They dragged themselves from the swamp singly, and in twos and threes, more dead than alive, mere perambulating skeletons, until at last there were thirty of us.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin perambulō, perambulātus. Equivalent to per- + ambulate.

This word in other languages

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

How do you spell "perambulate"?
"perambulate" is spelled P-E-R-A-M-B-U-L-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pəɹˈæmbjʊˌleɪt/.
What does "perambulate" mean?
As a verb, "perambulate" means: To walk about, roam or stroll; to ambulate.
How do you pronounce "perambulate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "perambulate" is /pəɹˈæmbjʊˌleɪt/. 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 "perambulate"?
Borrowed from Latin perambulō, perambulātus. Equivalent to per- + ambulate. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list