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substrate

sub·strate/ˈsʌbˌstɹeɪt/noun, adjective

substrate is spelled S-U-B-S-T-R-A-T-E: 9 letters and 2 syllables (sub·strate). It appears 4.4 times per million words in written English, the 12,216th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, substrate means “An underlying layer; a substratum” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of substrate is substrates.

How many letters and syllables are in substrate?

Letters9: S-U-B-S-T-R-A-T-E
Syllables2: sub·strate
In writing4.4 times per million words; the 12,216th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone 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 substrate?

Substrate appears 4.4 times per million words in written English, the 12,216th 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 substrate?

  • US /ˈsʌbˌstɹeɪt/
  • Australia /ˈsɐbˌstɹæɪt/

Substrate has 2 syllables, split sub·strate in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Tesco250-substrate.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-substrate.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of substrate

  • substrates plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • substrating participle, present
  • substrated participle, past
  • more substrate comparative
  • most substrate superlative

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does substrate mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    An underlying layer; a substratum.

  2. 2

    The substance lining the bottom edge of an enclosure.

    The substrate of an aquarium can affect the water's acidity.

  3. 3

    A substance acted upon, as by an enzyme.

  4. 4

    A surface on which an organism grows, or to which an organism or an item is attached.

    The rock surface of a rockpool is the substrate for a sessile organism such as a limpet.

  5. 5

    A language that is replaced in a population by another language and that influences the language imposed on its speakers.

  6. 6

    A metal which is plated with another metal which has different physical properties.

  7. 7

    A surface to which a substance adheres.

adjective

  1. 1

    Having very slight furrows.

verb

  1. 1

    obsoleteTo strew or lay under.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Substrate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchsubstrat (the material or substance on which an enzyme…)
GermanSubstrat (the material or substance on which an enzyme…), Nährboden, Untergrund, Bodengrund (a surface on which an organism grows or is…)
Portuguesesubstrato (the material or substance on which an enzyme…)
Spanishsustrato, substrato (the material or substance on which an enzyme…)

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 substrate come from?

Anglicization of substratum.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after substrate