permeate

/ˈpɜːmiˌeɪt/

//ˈpɜːmiˌeɪt// verb

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

"permeate" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“permeate” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #45,580. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#45,580
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To pass through the pores or interstices of; to penetrate and pass through without causing rupture or displacement; applied especially to fluids which pass through substances of loose texture

Corpus desk

Index EN-permeate · permeate · English

permeate · rank #45,580 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #45,580
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH performative

Nearest frequency peer: performative (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “permeate”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “permeate” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

permeate vs permeable
78% similar

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

Key facts for permeate
PropertyValue
Headwordpermeate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈpɜːmiˌeɪt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#45,580
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “permeate”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).permeatelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “performative” (#45,579), “pensive” (#45,578), “petticoat” (#45,582). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “permeate” is #45,580. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around permeate (IPA /ˈpɜːmiˌeɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #45,580 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for permeate, with forms such as "eprmeate", "pemreate", and "peremate". 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, "permeable", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1656; borrowed from Latin permeātus, perfect passive participle of permeō (“to pass through”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix). The correct English form is permeate, spelled P-E-R-M-E-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To pass through the pores or interstices of; to penetrate and pass through without causing rupture or displacement; applied especially to fluids which pass through substances of loose texture
  2. 2
    To enter and spread through; to pervade.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. water permeates sand
  2. Bright sunshine permeates the room on a sunny day.

Etymology

First attested in 1656; borrowed from Latin permeātus, perfect passive participle of permeō (“to pass through”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix).

This word in other languages

percolar(Español)s'infiltrer(Français)durchsickern(Deutsch)permear(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eprmeate
  • pemreate
  • peremate
  • permaete
  • permeaet
  • permeatte
  • permetae
  • permmeate
  • perrmeate
  • ppermeate
  • premeate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of permeate - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

eprmeate2pemreate2peremate2permaete2permeaet2permeatte1permetae2permmeate1
Edit distance from "permeate"

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 "permeate"?
"permeate" is spelled P-E-R-M-E-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɜːmiˌeɪt/.
What does "permeate" mean?
As a verb, "permeate" means: To pass through the pores or interstices of; to penetrate and pass through without causing rupture or displacement; applied especially to fluids which pass through substances of loose texture
What words are commonly confused with "permeate"?
"permeate" is commonly confused with "permeable". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "permeate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "permeate" is /ˈpɜːmiˌeɪt/. 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 "permeate"?
First attested in 1656; borrowed from Latin permeātus, perfect passive participle of permeō (“to pass through”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "permeate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Pattison#45,574Pacifica#45,565Roberson#45,633rockaway#45,634

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

petticoat11 variantspinging11 variantspanicky11 variantsOrwellian11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list