synthetase

/ˈsɪnθəteɪ̯s/

//ˈsɪnθəteɪ̯s// noun

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

"synthetase" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“synthetase” is uncommon English (frequency #71,954 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#71,954
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of a biological compound.

Key facts for synthetase
PropertyValue
Headwordsynthetase
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪnθəteɪ̯s/
Letters10
Frequency rank#71,954
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “synthetase” 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). synthetase lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

synthetase is uncommon English at frequency #71,954 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsɪnθəteɪ̯s/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for synthetase in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From synthesis + -ase. The correct English form is synthetase, spelled S-Y-N-T-H-E-T-A-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of a biological compound.
  2. 2
    Such an enzyme that, more specifically, uses ATP as a source of energy.

Etymology

From synthesis + -ase.

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 "synthetase"?
"synthetase" is spelled S-Y-N-T-H-E-T-A-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪnθəteɪ̯s/.
What does "synthetase" mean?
As a noun, "synthetase" means: Any enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of a biological compound.
How do you pronounce "synthetase"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "synthetase" is /ˈsɪnθəteɪ̯s/. 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 "synthetase"?
From synthesis + -ase. 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 “synthetase”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-Y-N-T-H-E-T-A-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɪnθəteɪ̯s/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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