postulate

/ˈpɒstjʊlət/

//ˈpɒstjʊlət// noun

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

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

The verdict

“postulate” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #47,269. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#47,269
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Something assumed without proof as being self-evident or generally accepted, especially when used as a basis for an argument. Sometimes distinguished from axioms as being relevant to a particular s...

Corpus desk

Index EN-postulate · postulate · English

postulate · rank #47,269 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #47,269
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH polypeptide

Nearest frequency peer: polypeptide (-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 “postulate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “postulate” 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).

postulate vs populate
78% similar

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

Key facts for postulate
PropertyValue
Headwordpostulate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɒstjʊlət/
Letters9
Frequency rank#47,269
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “postulate”

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).postulatelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “polypeptide” (#47,268), “presidio” (#47,270), “PMC” (#47,266). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “postulate” is #47,269. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around postulate (IPA /ˈpɒstjʊlət/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #47,269 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for postulate, with forms such as "opstulate", "posstulate", and "postluate". 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, "populate", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin postulātus or Latin postulātum. Alternatively, a substantivation of Latin postulātus, perfect passive participle of postulō (“to request”), see -ate (noun-forming suffix) for more. Compare French postulat. The correct English form is postulate, spelled P-O-S-T-U-L-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Something assumed without proof as being self-evident or generally accepted, especially when used as a basis for an argument. Sometimes distinguished from axioms as being relevant to a particular science or context, rather than universally true, and following from other axioms rather than being an absolute assumption.
  2. 2
    A fundamental element; a basic principle.
  3. 3
    An axiom.
  4. 4
    A requirement; a prerequisite.

Etymology

From Latin postulātus or Latin postulātum. Alternatively, a substantivation of Latin postulātus, perfect passive participle of postulō (“to request”), see -ate (noun-forming suffix) for more. Compare French postulat.

This word in other languages

postulado(Español)postulat(Français)Postulat(Deutsch)postulado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • opstulate
  • posstulate
  • postluate
  • posttulate
  • postualte
  • postulaet
  • postulatte
  • postullate
  • postultae
  • posutlate
  • potsulate
  • ppostulate
  • psotulate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opstulate2posstulate1postluate2posttulate1postualte2postulaet2postulatte1postullate1
Edit distance from "postulate"

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 "postulate"?
"postulate" is spelled P-O-S-T-U-L-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɒstjʊlət/.
What does "postulate" mean?
As a noun, "postulate" means: Something assumed without proof as being self-evident or generally accepted, especially when used as a basis for an argument. Sometimes distinguished from axioms as being relevant to a particular s...
What words are commonly confused with "postulate"?
"postulate" is commonly confused with "populate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "postulate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "postulate" is /ˈpɒstjʊlət/. 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 "postulate"?
From Latin postulātus or Latin postulātum. Alternatively, a substantivation of Latin postulātus, perfect passive participle of postulō (“to request”), see -ate (noun-forming suffix) for more. Compare French postulat. 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 "postulate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

probiotic#47,272propylene#47,274passivity#47,248reticence#47,304

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

percussive13 variantsscurrying13 variantsseafaring13 variantsSinhalese13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list