proximate
/ˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/
"proximate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“proximate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #46,120 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #46,120
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
- 3
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Close or closest; adjacent.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | proximate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #46,120 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 3 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “proximate” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for proximate is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/. Corpus data places it at rank #46,120 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 proximate, with forms such as "porximate", "pproximate", and "proixmate". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "proximity", "primate", "proximal", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Late Latin proximatus, past participle of proximare (“to draw near, approach”), from Latin proximus (“nearest”), superlative of prope (“near”). The correct English form is proximate, spelled P-R-O-X-I-M-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1Close or closest; adjacent.
- 2Immediately preceding or following in a chain of causation.
- 3About to take place; impending.
Etymology
From Late Latin proximatus, past participle of proximare (“to draw near, approach”), from Latin proximus (“nearest”), superlative of prope (“near”).
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: porximate,pproximate,proixmate,proxiamte,proximaet,proximatte,proximmate,proximtae,proxmiate,proxximate,prroximate,prxoimate,rpoximate
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of proximate - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "proximate"?
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Using “proximate”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-R-O-X-I-M-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “proximity” - see the side-by-side comparison. proximate vs proximity
- 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.