separate

/ˈsɛp.(ə.)ɹət/

//ˈsɛp.(ə.)ɹət// verb

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

"separate" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“separate” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,577 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,577
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To divide (a thing) into separate parts.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

separate vs seperate
88% similar
separate vs separated
89% similar
separate vs separator
78% similar

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

Key facts for separate
PropertyValue
Headwordseparate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈsɛp.(ə.)ɹət/
Letters8
Frequency rank#1,577
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “separate” 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). separate lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for separate is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɛp.(ə.)ɹət/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,577 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for separate, with forms such as "esparate", "seaprate", and "sepaarte". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "seperate", "separated", "separator", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English separaten (“to separate”), from separat (“separated”) + -en, from Latin sēparātus, perfect passive participle of sēparō (“to separate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from sē- (“apart”) + parō (“prepare”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-E… The correct English form is separate, spelled S-E-P-A-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To divide (a thing) into separate parts.
  2. 2
    To disunite from a group or mass; to disconnect.
  3. 3
    To cause (things or people) to be separate.
  4. 4
    To divide itself into separate pieces or substances.
  5. 5
    To set apart; to select from among others, as for a special use or service.

Etymology

From Middle English separaten (“to separate”), from separat (“separated”) + -en, from Latin sēparātus, perfect passive participle of sēparō (“to separate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from sē- (“apart”) + parō (“prepare”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“produce, procure, bring forward, bring forth”). Displaced Middle English scheden, from Old English scēadan (whence English shed). Doublet of sever, also derived from the same Latin verb.

Antonyms

annexcombine

This word in other languages

separar(Español)séparer(Français)trennen(Deutsch)separar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: esparate,seaprate,sepaarte,separaet,separatte,separrate,separtae,sepparate,sepraate,spearate,sseparate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of separate - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

esparate2seaprate2sepaarte2separaet2separatte1separrate1separtae2sepparate1
Edit distance from "separate"

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 "separate"?
"separate" is spelled S-E-P-A-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛp.(ə.)ɹət/.
What does "separate" mean?
As a verb, "separate" means: To divide (a thing) into separate parts.
What words are commonly confused with "separate"?
"separate" is commonly confused with "seperate", "separated", "separator". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "separate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "separate" is /ˈsɛp.(ə.)ɹət/. 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 "separate"?
From Middle English separaten (“to separate”), from separat (“separated”) + -en, from Latin sēparātus, perfect passive participle of sēparō (“to separate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from sē- (“apart”) + parō (“prepare”), ultimately from Pr... 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.

Using “separate”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-E-P-A-R-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɛp.(ə.)ɹət/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “seperate” - see the side-by-side comparison. separate vs seperate
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list