relate
re·late/ɹɪˈleɪt/verb
relate is spelled R-E-L-A-T-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (re·late). It appears 17 times per million words in written English, the 4,752nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, relate means “To tell in a descriptive way” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in relate?
| Letters | 6: R-E-L-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: re·late |
| In writing | 17 times per million words; the 4,752nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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 relate?
Relate appears 17 times per million words in written English, the 4,752nd 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 relate?
- US /ɹɪˈleɪt/
- US /ɹiˈleɪt/
Relate has 2 syllables, split re·late in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-relate.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with relate?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as relate from its last stressed vowel (/eɪt/):
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 relate
- relates present, singular, he/she/it
- relating participle, present
- related participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does relate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To tell in a descriptive way.
The captain related an old yarn.
- 2
To be relevant specifically to.
These regulations relate only to exported goods.
- 3
To bring into a relation, association, or connection (between one thing and another).
- 4
To have a connection.
The patterns on the screen relate to the pitch and volume of the music being played.
- 5
To interact.
Children who find it hard to relate end up being inadequately socialized.
- 6
To respond through reaction.
- 7
To identify with; to understand.
I find it difficult to relate to others because I'm extremely introverted.
- 8
obsoleteTo bring back; to restore.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Relate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | berichten |
| Portuguese | relatar , relacionar , identificar-se |
| Spanish | relatar , relacionar , relacionarse |
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 relate come from?
From Latin relātus, perfect passive participle of referō (“carry back; report”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of refer. See also infer, collate and confer, delate and defer, as well as prefer and prelate among others.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).