propagate

/ˈpɹɒpəˌɡeɪt/

//ˈpɹɒpəˌɡeɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“propagate” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,894. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,894
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cause to continue or multiply by generation, or successive production.

Corpus desk

Index EN-propagate · propagate · English

propagate · rank #25,894 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,894
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH QR

Nearest frequency peer: QR (+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 “propagate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “propagate” 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
Key facts for propagate
PropertyValue
Headwordpropagate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈpɹɒpəˌɡeɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#25,894
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “propagate”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “QR” (#25,895), “prefect” (#25,891), “redefine” (#25,897). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “propagate” is #25,894. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around propagate (IPA /ˈpɹɒpəˌɡeɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #25,894 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for propagate, with forms such as "porpagate", "ppropagate", and "proapgate". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1535; from Latin prōpāgātus, perfect passive participle of prōpāgō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Participial usage up until Early Modern English. The correct English form is propagate, spelled P-R-O-P-A-G-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cause to continue or multiply by generation, or successive production.
  2. 2
    To cause to spread to extend; to impel or continue forward in space.
  3. 3
    To spread from person to person; to extend the knowledge of; to originate and spread; to carry from place to place; to disseminate.
  4. 4
    To multiply; to increase.
  5. 5
    To generate; to produce.
  6. 6
    To be propagated; to travel.
  7. 7
    To produce young; to be produced or multiplied by generation, or by new shoots or plants.
  8. 8
    To take effect on all relevant devices in a network.
  9. 9
    To cause to take effect on all relevant devices in a network.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. June 1879, William Keith Brooks, Popular Science Monthly Volume 15 - The Condition of Women from a Zoological Point of View I A marked bud-variation is of very rare occurrence, but in many cases the tendency of plants raised from seeds to differ from the parents is so great that choice varieties are propagated entirely by buds. It is almost hopeless to at…
  2. to propagate sound or light

Etymology

First attested in 1535; from Latin prōpāgātus, perfect passive participle of prōpāgō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Participial usage up until Early Modern English.

This word in other languages

propagar(Español)verbreiten(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • porpagate
  • ppropagate
  • proapgate
  • propaagte
  • propagaet
  • propagatte
  • propaggate
  • propagtae
  • propgaate
  • proppagate
  • prpoagate
  • prropagate
  • rpopagate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of propagate - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

porpagate2ppropagate1proapgate2propaagte2propagaet2propagatte1propaggate1propagtae2
Edit distance from "propagate"

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 "propagate"?
"propagate" is spelled P-R-O-P-A-G-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɒpəˌɡeɪt/.
What does "propagate" mean?
As a verb, "propagate" means: To cause to continue or multiply by generation, or successive production.
What are common misspellings of "propagate"?
Common misspellings include "porpagate", "ppropagate", "proapgate", "propaagte", "propagaet". The correct spelling is "propagate".
How do you pronounce "propagate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "propagate" is /ˈpɹɒpəˌɡeɪt/. 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 "propagate"?
First attested in 1535; from Latin prōpāgātus, perfect passive participle of prōpāgō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Participial usage up until Early Modern English. 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 "propagate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

reinstate#25,899Remington#25,900retailing#25,905scarecrow#25,919

Similar misspelling depth

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

salmonella13 variantsoverriding13 variantsscrubbing13 variantsobstruct13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list