rate

/ɹeɪt/

//ɹeɪt// noun

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

"rate" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“rate” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #752. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#752
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The worth of something; value.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rate · rate · English

rate · rank #752 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #752
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH production

Nearest frequency peer: production (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “rate”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “rate” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

rate vs re
50% similar
rate vs RT
0% similar
rate vs ray
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for rate
PropertyValue
Headwordrate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹeɪt/
Letters4
Frequency rank#752
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rate” 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). rate lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around rate (IPA /ɹeɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #752 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 13 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for rate, with forms such as "arte", "raet", and "ratte". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "re", "RT", "ray", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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”). The correct English form is rate, spelled R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The worth of something; value.
  2. 2
    The proportional relationship between one amount, value etc. and another.
  3. 3
    Speed.
  4. 4
    The relative speed of change or progress.
  5. 5
    The price of (an individual) thing; cost.
  6. 6
    A set price or charge for all examples of a given case, commodity, service etc.
  7. 7
    A wage calculated in relation to a unit of time.
  8. 8
    Any of various taxes, especially those levied by a local authority.
  9. 9
    A class into which ships were assigned based on condition, size etc.; by extension, rank.
  10. 10
    Established portion or measure; fixed allowance; ration.
  11. 11
    Order; arrangement.
  12. 12
    Ratification; approval.
  13. 13
    The gain or loss of a timepiece in a unit of time.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There shall no figure at such rate be set, / As that of true and faithfull Iuliet.
  2. His natural parts were not of the first rate, but he had greatly improved them by a learned education.

Etymology

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”).

This word in other languages

tasa(Español)taux(Français)Rate(Deutsch)taxa(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • arte
  • raet
  • ratte
  • rrate
  • rtae

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rate - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

arte2raet2ratte1rrate1rtae2
Edit distance from "rate"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "rate"?
"rate" is spelled R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹeɪt/.
What does "rate" mean?
As a noun, "rate" means: The worth of something; value.
What words are commonly confused with "rate"?
"rate" is commonly confused with "re", "RT", "ray". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rate" is /ɹeɪt/. 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 "rate"?
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”). 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 "rate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

save#755blue#761fall#766fast#767

Similar misspelling depth

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

size5 variantspress5 variantspage5 variantspaid5 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "rate". Here's where to go from here.

  • "rate" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "re". View pair
  • 5 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #752 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "R" letter cohort. R–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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