prolate

/ˈpɹəʊ.leɪt/

//ˈpɹəʊ.leɪt// adj

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

The verdict

“prolate” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Elongated at the poles.

Corpus desk

Index EN-prolate · prolate · English

prolate · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for prolate
PropertyValue
Headwordprolate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpɹəʊ.leɪt/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “prolate” in English

prolatefalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

prolate is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈpɹəʊ.leɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Elongated at the poles.".

No misspelling variants are generated for prolate in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin prolatum, past participle of proferre (“to extend, lengthen”). The correct English form is prolate, spelled P-R-O-L-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Elongated at the poles.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. A cigar is a prolate spheroid.

Etymology

From Latin prolatum, past participle of proferre (“to extend, lengthen”).

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "prolate"?
"prolate" is spelled P-R-O-L-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹəʊ.leɪt/.
What does "prolate" mean?
As an adjective, "prolate" means: Elongated at the poles.
How do you pronounce "prolate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prolate" is /ˈpɹəʊ.leɪt/. 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 "prolate"?
From Latin prolatum, past participle of proferre (“to extend, lengthen”). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list