regulate
re·gu·late/ˈɹɛɡ.jə.leɪt/verb
regulate is spelled R-E-G-U-L-A-T-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables (re·gu·late). It appears 7.4 times per million words in written English, the 8,669th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, regulate means “To dictate policy” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in regulate?
| Letters | 8: R-E-G-U-L-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: re·gu·late |
| In writing | 7.4 times per million words; the 8,669th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is regulate?
Regulate appears 7.4 times per million words in written English, the 8,669th 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 regulate?
- UK /ˈɹɛɡ.jʊ.leɪt/
- US /ˈɹɛɡ.jə.leɪt/
Regulate has 3 syllables, split re·gu·late in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-regulate.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of regulate
- regulates present, singular, he/she/it
- regulating participle, present
- regulated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does regulate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To dictate policy.
- 2
To control or direct according to rule, principle, or law.
- 3
To adjust (a mechanism) for accurate and proper functioning.
to regulate a watch, i.e. adjust its rate of running so that it will keep approximately standard time
- 4
To put or maintain in order.
to regulate the disordered state of a nation or its finances
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Regulate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | régler |
| German | regeln, regulieren |
| Portuguese | regular |
| Spanish | regular , reglamentar |
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 regulate come from?
Borrowed from Latin regulatus, perfect passive participle of regulō (“to direct, rule, regulate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from regula (“rule”), from regō (“to keep straight, direct, govern, rule”). Compare regle, rail. Displaced native Old English metegian.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).