predicate

/ˈpɹɛd.ɪ.kət/

//ˈpɹɛd.ɪ.kət// noun

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

The verdict

“predicate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #35,029 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#35,029
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The part of the sentence (or clause) which states a property that a subject has or is characterized by.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

predicate vs predict
78% similar
predicate vs predicted
78% similar
predicate vs predicated
90% similar

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

Key facts for predicate
PropertyValue
Headwordpredicate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹɛd.ɪ.kət/
Letters9
Frequency rank#35,029
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “predicate” 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). predicate lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for predicate is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɛd.ɪ.kət/. Corpus data places it at rank #35,029 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for predicate, with forms such as "perdicate", "ppredicate", and "prdeicate". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "predict", "predicted", "predicated", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English predicat(e), from Old French predicat (French prédicat), from Medieval Latin praedicātum (“thing said of a subject, predicate”), substantivized from the nominative neuter singular of praedicātus, the perfect passive participle praedicō (… The correct English form is predicate, spelled P-R-E-D-I-C-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The part of the sentence (or clause) which states a property that a subject has or is characterized by.
  2. 2
    A term of a statement, where the statement may be true or false depending on whether the thing referred to by the values of the statement's variables has the property signified by that (predicative) term.
  3. 3
    An operator, expression, or function that returns either true or false.

Etymology

From Middle English predicat(e), from Old French predicat (French prédicat), from Medieval Latin praedicātum (“thing said of a subject, predicate”), substantivized from the nominative neuter singular of praedicātus, the perfect passive participle praedicō (“to proclaim”), see -ate (noun-forming suffix); see also Etymology 2 below. The adjective was derived from the noun by metanalysis, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: perdicate,ppredicate,prdeicate,predciate,preddicate,prediacte,predicaet,predicatte,prediccate,predictae,preidcate,prredicate,rpedicate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

perdicate2ppredicate1prdeicate2predciate2preddicate1prediacte2predicaet2predicatte1
Edit distance from "predicate"

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 "predicate"?
"predicate" is spelled P-R-E-D-I-C-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɛd.ɪ.kət/.
What does "predicate" mean?
As a noun, "predicate" means: The part of the sentence (or clause) which states a property that a subject has or is characterized by.
What words are commonly confused with "predicate"?
"predicate" is commonly confused with "predict", "predicted", "predicated". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "predicate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "predicate" is /ˈpɹɛd.ɪ.kət/. 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 "predicate"?
From Middle English predicat(e), from Old French predicat (French prédicat), from Medieval Latin praedicātum (“thing said of a subject, predicate”), substantivized from the nominative neuter singular of praedicātus, the perfect passive participle ... 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 “predicate”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-R-E-D-I-C-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpɹɛd.ɪ.kət/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “predict” - see the side-by-side comparison. predicate vs predict
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list