rate
ra·té/ɹeɪt/noun, verb
rate is spelled R-A-T-E: 4 letters and 2 syllables (ra·té). It appears 138 times per million words in written English, the 756th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, rate means “The proportional relationship between one amount, value etc. and another” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of rate is rates or ratés.
How many letters and syllables are in rate?
| Letters | 4: R-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: ra·té |
| In writing | 138 times per million words; the 756th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is rate?
Rate appears 138 times per million words in written English, the 756th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce rate?
- US /ɹeɪt/
Rate has 2 syllables, split ra·té in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-rate.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Pvanp7-raté.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with rate?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as rate from its last stressed vowel (/eɪt/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: tear, tare, aret.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of rate
- rates plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- rating participle, present
- rated participle, past
- ratés plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does rate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
obsoleteThe worth of something; value.
- 2
The proportional relationship between one amount, value etc. and another.
At the height of his powers, he was producing pictures at the rate of four a year.
- 3
Speed.
The car was speeding down here at a hell of a rate.
- 4
The relative speed of change or progress.
The rate of production at the factory is skyrocketing.
- 5
The price of (an individual) thing; cost.
He asked quite a rate to take me to the airport.
- 6
A set price or charge for all examples of a given case, commodity, service etc.
Postal rates here are low.
- 7
A wage calculated in relation to a unit of time.
We pay an hourly rate of between $10 – $15 per hour depending on qualifications and experience.
- 8
Any of various taxes, especially those levied by a local authority.
I hardly have enough left every month to pay the rates.
verb
- 1
To assign or be assigned a particular rank or level.
She is rated fourth in the country.
- 2
To evaluate or estimate the value of.
They rate his talents highly.
- 3
To consider or regard.
He rated this book brilliant.
- 4
To deserve; to be worth.
The view here hardly rates a mention in the travel guide.
- 5
To determine the limits of safe functioning for a machine or electrical device.
The transformer is rated at 10 watts.
- 6
UKTo evaluate a property's value for the purposes of local taxation.
- 7
informalTo like; to think highly of.
The customers don't rate the new burgers.
- 8
To take action to slow down the pace of the horse one is riding.
- 9
obsoleteTo berate, scold.
- 10
UKobsoleteTo cause (hay, hemp, flax, etc) to decay (whether in an injurious way, or–as retting–in a useful way) by exposure to weather, particularly wetness.
noun
- 1
an unsuccessful person; a failure
adjective
- 1
(of a person or thing) failed; disappointing
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Rate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | taux , coût , coter |
| German | Rate |
| Portuguese | taxa, razão , custo, preço , qualificar |
| Spanish | tasa , impuesto , velocidad, ritmo, cadencia |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does rate come from?
From Middle English rate, from Old French rate, from Medieval Latin rata, from Latin prō ratā parte (“according to a fixed part”), from ratus (“fixed”), from rērī (“think, deem, judge, estimate", originally "reckon, calculate”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).