punctuate

/ˈpʰʌŋktjuːeɪt/

//ˈpʰʌŋktjuːeɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“punctuate” is uncommon English (frequency #63,911 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#63,911
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To add punctuation to.

Key facts for punctuate
PropertyValue
Headwordpunctuate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈpʰʌŋktjuːeɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#63,911
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “punctuate” 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). punctuate lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

punctuate is uncommon English at frequency #63,911 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈpʰʌŋktjuːeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

punctuate doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Medieval Latin pūnctuātus, perfect passive participle of pūnctuō (“to mark with points”), from Medieval Latin pūnctus (“a point, dot”), from pungō (“to prick, punch”); see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet… The correct English form is punctuate, spelled P-U-N-C-T-U-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To add punctuation to.
  2. 2
    To add or to interrupt at regular intervals.
  3. 3
    To emphasize; to stress.

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin pūnctuātus, perfect passive participle of pūnctuō (“to mark with points”), from Medieval Latin pūnctus (“a point, dot”), from pungō (“to prick, punch”); see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of punch.

This word in other languages

puntuar(Español)ponctuer(Français)interpunktieren(Deutsch)

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 "punctuate"?
"punctuate" is spelled P-U-N-C-T-U-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpʰʌŋktjuːeɪt/.
What does "punctuate" mean?
As a verb, "punctuate" means: To add punctuation to.
How do you pronounce "punctuate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "punctuate" is /ˈpʰʌŋktjuːeɪt/. 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 "punctuate"?
Borrowed from Medieval Latin pūnctuātus, perfect passive participle of pūnctuō (“to mark with points”), from Medieval Latin pūnctus (“a point, dot”), from pungō (“to prick, punch”); see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix... 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 “punctuate”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-U-N-C-T-U-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpʰʌŋktjuːeɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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