perforate

/ˈpəːfəreɪt/

//ˈpəːfəreɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“perforate” is uncommon English (frequency #92,994 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#92,994
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To pierce; to penetrate.

Key facts for perforate
PropertyValue
Headwordperforate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈpəːfəreɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#92,994
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “perforate” 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). perforate lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

perforate is uncommon English at frequency #92,994 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈpəːfəreɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

perforate doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective is first attested in 1425, in Middle English, the verb in 1538; from Middle English perforat(e) (“perforated, pierced”), borrowed from Latin perforātus, the perfect passive participle of perforō (“to bore or pierce through, to perforate”) (see… The correct English form is perforate, spelled P-E-R-F-O-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To pierce; to penetrate.
  2. 2
    To make a line of holes in (a thin material) to allow separation at the line.

Etymology

The adjective is first attested in 1425, in Middle English, the verb in 1538; from Middle English perforat(e) (“perforated, pierced”), borrowed from Latin perforātus, the perfect passive participle of perforō (“to bore or pierce through, to perforate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from per- (“through, thorough”) + forō (“to bore, pierce”). Participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

This word in other languages

perforar(Español)perforieren(Deutsch)perfurar(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 "perforate"?
"perforate" is spelled P-E-R-F-O-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpəːfəreɪt/.
What does "perforate" mean?
As a verb, "perforate" means: To pierce; to penetrate.
How do you pronounce "perforate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "perforate" is /ˈpəːfəreɪt/. 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 "perforate"?
The adjective is first attested in 1425, in Middle English, the verb in 1538; from Middle English perforat(e) (“perforated, pierced”), borrowed from Latin perforātus, the perfect passive participle of perforō (“to bore or pierce through, to perfor... 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 “perforate”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-E-R-F-O-R-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpəːfəreɪt/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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