perpetuate

/pəˈpɛt͡ʃʊeɪt/

//pəˈpɛt͡ʃʊeɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“perpetuate” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,765. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,765
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make (something) perpetual; to make (something) continue for an indefinite time; also, to preserve (something) from extinction or oblivion.

Corpus desk

Index EN-perpetuate · perpetuate · English

perpetuate · rank #22,765 · 14 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,765
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH perk

Nearest frequency peer: perk (-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 “perpetuate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “perpetuate” 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).

perpetuate vs perpetuity
80% similar
perpetuate vs perpetual
80% similar

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

Key facts for perpetuate
PropertyValue
Headwordperpetuate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pəˈpɛt͡ʃʊeɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#22,765
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “perpetuate”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).perpetuatelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “perk” (#22,764), “perverse” (#22,766), “patched” (#22,763). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “perpetuate” is #22,765. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around perpetuate (IPA /pəˈpɛt͡ʃʊeɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #22,765 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for perpetuate, with forms such as "eprpetuate", "pepretuate", and "pereptuate". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "perpetuity", "perpetual", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: (16th century) From earlier perpetuat, learned borrowing from Latin perpetuātus (“perpetuated”), perfect passive participle of perpetuō (“to cause to continue uninterruptedly, to proceed with continually, to make perpetual, perpetuate”) (see -ate (verb-form… The correct English form is perpetuate, spelled P-E-R-P-E-T-U-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make (something) perpetual; to make (something) continue for an indefinite time; also, to preserve (something) from extinction or oblivion.
  2. 2
    To make (something) perpetual; to make (something) continue for an indefinite time; also, to preserve (something) from extinction or oblivion.
  3. 3
    To prolong the existence of (something) by repetition; to reinforce.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I am contented to contynue it for my tyme, but to perpetuate it lyeth nat in my power.
  2. To the ſupportiue perpetuating of your canonized reputation, vvholie this booke haue I deſtined.

Etymology

(16th century) From earlier perpetuat, learned borrowing from Latin perpetuātus (“perpetuated”), perfect passive participle of perpetuō (“to cause to continue uninterruptedly, to proceed with continually, to make perpetual, perpetuate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from perpetuus (“everlasting, perpetual”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix), from per- (“thoroughly, very”) + petō (“to ask, request; to look for; to make for (somewhere)”) + -uus (forms adjectives from verbal stems), literally “that is asked with great zeal, over and over again”, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- (“to spread out; to fly”). Cognates * Catalan perpetuar * Italian perpetuare * Old French perpetué (adjective) (Middle French perpetué (adjective)); Middle French perpétuer (verb) (modern French perpétuer (verb)) * Old Occitan perpetuar * Portuguese perpetuar * Spanish perpetuar

This word in other languages

perpétuer(Français)perpetuieren(Deutsch)perpetuar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eprpetuate
  • pepretuate
  • pereptuate
  • perpetaute
  • perpettuate
  • perpetuaet
  • perpetuatte
  • perpetutae
  • perpeutate
  • perppetuate
  • perpteuate
  • perrpetuate
  • pperpetuate
  • prepetuate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eprpetuate2pepretuate2pereptuate2perpetaute2perpettuate1perpetuaet2perpetuatte1perpetutae2
Edit distance from "perpetuate"

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 "perpetuate"?
"perpetuate" is spelled P-E-R-P-E-T-U-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pəˈpɛt͡ʃʊeɪt/.
What does "perpetuate" mean?
As a verb, "perpetuate" means: To make (something) perpetual; to make (something) continue for an indefinite time; also, to preserve (something) from extinction or oblivion.
What words are commonly confused with "perpetuate"?
"perpetuate" is commonly confused with "perpetuity", "perpetual". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "perpetuate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "perpetuate" is /pəˈpɛt͡ʃʊeɪt/. 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 "perpetuate"?
(16th century) From earlier perpetuat, learned borrowing from Latin perpetuātus (“perpetuated”), perfect passive participle of perpetuō (“to cause to continue uninterruptedly, to proceed with continually, to make perpetual, perpetuate”) (see -ate ... 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 "perpetuate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

repentance#22,792scholastic#22,806indulgence#22,707imposition#22,705

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

perverted14 variantsprophetic14 variantssacrament14 variantsintersect14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list