reverberate

/ɹɪˈvɜːbəˌɹeɪt/

//ɹɪˈvɜːbəˌɹeɪt// verb

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

"reverberate" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“reverberate” is uncommon English (frequency #67,793 among 3,094 “R” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#67,793
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cause (a sound) to be (repeatedly) bounced against one or more surfaces; to re-echo.

Corpus desk

Index EN-reverberate · reverberate · English

reverberate · rank #67,793 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #67,793
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH ringworm

Nearest frequency peer: ringworm (+3 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.

Long-tail ranks near “reverberate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “reverberate” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for reverberate
PropertyValue
Headwordreverberate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈvɜːbəˌɹeɪt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#67,793
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “reverberate” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).reverberatefalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “ringworm” (#67,796), “refectory” (#67,787), “Rogerson” (#67,799). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reverberate” is #67,793. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

reverberate is uncommon English at frequency #67,793 among 3,094 “R” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɹɪˈvɜːbəˌɹeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 21 senses are on record.

reverberate doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin reverberātus, perfect passive participle of reverberō (“to rebound; to reflect; to repel”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), whence Middle French reverberer (French réverbérer) and Middle English reverberen (“to send back”)), from re- (p… The correct English form is reverberate, spelled R-E-V-E-R-B-E-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cause (a sound) to be (repeatedly) bounced against one or more surfaces; to re-echo.
  2. 2
    Followed by on (to): to deflect or divert (flames, heat, etc.) on to something.
  3. 3
    To heat (something) by deflecting flames on to, or passing flames over, it.
  4. 4
    To repeatedly reflect (heat, light, or other radiation).
  5. 5
    To drive, force, or push (someone or something) back; to repel, to repulse.
  6. 6
    To send (something) back from where it came.
  7. 7
    Of light or sound: to fall on or hit (a surface or other thing); also, to fill or spread throughout (a space or other thing).
  8. 8
    To beat or hit (something) repeatedly.
  9. 9
    Of sound: to (repeatedly) bounce against one or more surfaces; to echo or re-echo, to resound.
  10. 10
    Chiefly followed by to or with: of a place or thing: to ring or vibrate with many echoing sounds; to re-echo, to resound.
  11. 11
    Often followed by from: of heat or (less commonly) light: to be (repeatedly) reflected.
  12. 12
    Of information, news, etc.: to be spread widely through repetition.
  13. 13
    Of a thing: to have lasting and often significant effects.
  14. 14
    Of a thing: to be heated by having flames, hot gases, etc., deflected or passed over it.
  15. 15
    To deflect or divert flames, hot gases, etc., on or into something.
  16. 16
    To shine on something, especially with reflected light.
  17. 17
    Of a thing: to (repeatedly) bounce against one or more surfaces, especially with a sound; to rebound, to recoil.
  18. 18
    Followed by on or upon, or to: of a thing: to return and affect a person, their feelings, etc.; to recoil.
  19. 19
    Followed by in and a reflexive pronoun: of a thing: to turn back on itself.
  20. 20
    Of a furnace, kiln, etc.: to heat up through the effect of flames, hot gases, etc., deflecting within it.
  21. 21
    To heat something by deflecting flames on to, or passing flames over, it.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [N]o man is the Lord of any thing: / Though in and of him there be much conſiſting, / Till he communicate his parts to others, / Nor doth hee of himſelfe knovv them for aught: / Till he behold them formed in the applauſe. / VVhere th'are extended: vvho like an arch reuerb'rate / The voice againe or like a gate of ſteele: / Fronting the Sunne, receiues and…
  2. [S]oundes doe riſe / By mens force vnder feete, vvounded vvith noyſe / The hilles to heav'n reverberate their voyce.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin reverberātus, perfect passive participle of reverberō (“to rebound; to reflect; to repel”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), whence Middle French reverberer (French réverbérer) and Middle English reverberen (“to send back”)), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again’) and verberō (“to beat; to lash, whip”) (from verber (“rod; lash, whip”) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs)).

This word in other languages

reverberar(Español)réverbérer(Français)nachhallen(Deutsch)

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 "reverberate"?
"reverberate" is spelled R-E-V-E-R-B-E-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈvɜːbəˌɹeɪt/.
What does "reverberate" mean?
As a verb, "reverberate" means: To cause (a sound) to be (repeatedly) bounced against one or more surfaces; to re-echo.
How do you pronounce "reverberate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reverberate" is /ɹɪˈvɜːbəˌɹeɪt/. 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 "reverberate"?
Borrowed from Latin reverberātus, perfect passive participle of reverberō (“to rebound; to reflect; to repel”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), whence Middle French reverberer (French réverbérer) and Middle English reverberen (“to send back”)), f... 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 "reverberate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Rohrabacher#67,800pterodactyl#67,756psychically#67,755proteolytic#67,753

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list