temperate
/ˈtɛmpəɹət/
"temperate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“temperate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,969 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #18,969
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
- 3
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Moderate; not excessive.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | temperate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈtɛmpəɹət/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #18,969 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 3 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “temperate” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for temperate is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɛmpəɹət/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,969 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for temperate, with forms such as "etmperate", "temeprate", and "temmperate". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "template", "temperature", "temperance", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective is first attested in 1380, in Middle English, the verb in 1540; borrowed from Latin temperātus, perfect passive participle of temperō (“to moderate, forbear, combine properly”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (verb-forming suffix… The correct English form is temperate, spelled T-E-M-P-E-R-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1Moderate; not excessive.
- 2Moderate; not excessive.
- 3Moderate; not excessive.
- 4Proceeding from temperance.
- 5Dependent on life in a temperate climate.
Etymology
The adjective is first attested in 1380, in Middle English, the verb in 1540; borrowed from Latin temperātus, perfect passive participle of temperō (“to moderate, forbear, combine properly”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (verb-forming suffix). See temper. Displaced native Old English ġemetegod.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: etmperate,temeprate,temmperate,tempearte,temperaet,temperatte,temperrate,tempertae,tempperate,tempreate,tepmerate,tmeperate,ttemperate
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of temperate - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “temperate”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-E-M-P-E-R-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈtɛmpəɹət/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “template” - see the side-by-side comparison. temperate vs template
- 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.