predate

/ˈpɹiːˌdeɪt/

//ˈpɹiːˌdeɪt// verb

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

"predate" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“predate” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #47,838. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#47,838
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To designate a date earlier than the actual one; to move a date, appointment, event, or period of time to an earlier point (contrast "postdate".)

Corpus desk

Index EN-predate · predate · English

predate · rank #47,838 · 10 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #47,838
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH predominate

Nearest frequency peer: predominate (+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 “predate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “predate” 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).

predate vs private
71% similar
predate vs prepare
71% similar
predate vs preface
71% similar

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

Key facts for predate
PropertyValue
Headwordpredate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈpɹiːˌdeɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#47,838
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “predate”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).predatelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “predominate” (#47,839), “prat” (#47,836), “prelims” (#47,840). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “predate” is #47,838. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around predate (IPA /ˈpɹiːˌdeɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #47,838 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for predate, with forms such as "perdate", "ppredate", and "prdeate". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "private", "prepare", "preface", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From pre- + date. The correct English form is predate, spelled P-R-E-D-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To designate a date earlier than the actual one; to move a date, appointment, event, or period of time to an earlier point (contrast "postdate".)
  2. 2
    To exist or to occur before something else; to antedate.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The Chinese use of Pascal's Triangle predates its discovery by Blaise Pascal.
  2. "The Tees Valley has ageing diesel trains that predate any form of emission control.

Etymology

From pre- + date.

Synonyms

antedatebackdateforedateantedateprecedepredatepreexist

Antonyms

overdatepostdateoverdatepostdate

This word in other languages

adelantar(Español)vorverlegen(Deutsch)anteceder(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • perdate
  • ppredate
  • prdeate
  • preadte
  • predaet
  • predatte
  • preddate
  • predtae
  • prredate
  • rpedate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

perdate2ppredate1prdeate2preadte2predaet2predatte1preddate1predtae2
Edit distance from "predate"

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 "predate"?
"predate" is spelled P-R-E-D-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹiːˌdeɪt/.
What does "predate" mean?
As a verb, "predate" means: To designate a date earlier than the actual one; to move a date, appointment, event, or period of time to an earlier point (contrast "postdate".)
What words are commonly confused with "predate"?
"predate" is commonly confused with "private", "prepare", "preface". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "predate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "predate" is /ˈpɹiːˌdeɪt/. 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 "predate"?
From pre- + date. 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 "predate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

prelims#47,840pullout#47,852readied#47,860rescuer#47,866

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

Sandeep10 variantsSchmid10 variantsMurthy10 variantssquabble10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list