ratify

/ˈɹætɪfaɪ/

//ˈɹætɪfaɪ// verb

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

"ratify" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ratify” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,306. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,306
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To give formal consent to; make officially valid, sign off on.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ratify · ratify · English

ratify · rank #31,306 · 9 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,306
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH Randle

Nearest frequency peer: Randle (-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 “ratify”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “ratify” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ratify vs ratio
67% similar
ratify vs rating
67% similar
ratify vs ration
67% similar

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

Key facts for ratify
PropertyValue
Headwordratify
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɹætɪfaɪ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#31,306
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ratify”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).ratifylands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Randle” (#31,305), “RBC” (#31,307), “raiser” (#31,304). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “ratify” is #31,306. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around ratify (IPA /ˈɹætɪfaɪ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #31,306 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To give formal consent to; make officially valid, sign off on.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for ratify, with forms such as "artify", "raitfy", and "ratfiy". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "ratio", "rating", "ration", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French ratifier, from Medieval Latin ratifico, from Latin ratus (“reckoned”). The correct English form is ratify, spelled R-A-T-I-F-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To give formal consent to; make officially valid, sign off on.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. They ratified the treaty.
  2. Thus the workmen decide the principle, the Executive carry it out. The agent provides information and negotiates. The Conference finally ratifies or disapproves.

Etymology

From Old French ratifier, from Medieval Latin ratifico, from Latin ratus (“reckoned”).

This word in other languages

ratificar(Español)ratifier(Français)bestätigen(Deutsch)ratificar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • artify
  • raitfy
  • ratfiy
  • ratiffy
  • ratifyy
  • ratiyf
  • rattify
  • rratify
  • rtaify

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

artify2raitfy2ratfiy2ratiffy1ratifyy1ratiyf2rattify1rratify1
Edit distance from "ratify"

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 "ratify"?
"ratify" is spelled R-A-T-I-F-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹætɪfaɪ/.
What does "ratify" mean?
As a verb, "ratify" means: To give formal consent to; make officially valid, sign off on.
What words are commonly confused with "ratify"?
"ratify" is commonly confused with "ratio", "rating", "ration". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ratify"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ratify" is /ˈɹætɪfaɪ/. 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 "ratify"?
From Old French ratifier, from Medieval Latin ratifico, from Latin ratus (“reckoned”). 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 "ratify", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Randle#31,305raiser#31,304recast#31,310preset#31,300

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

profess9 variantssaddled9 variantssander9 variantsorigami9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list