update

/ˈʌp.deɪt/

//ˈʌp.deɪt// noun

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

"update" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“update” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,094. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,094
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An additional piece of information, an addition to existing information.

Corpus desk

Index EN-update · update · English

update · rank #2,094 · 8 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,094
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH trees

Nearest frequency peer: trees (-1 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “update”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “update” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

update vs uptake
67% similar
update vs updated
86% similar
update vs upstate
71% similar

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

Key facts for update
PropertyValue
Headwordupdate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʌp.deɪt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,094
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “update”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).updatelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “trees” (#2,093), “user” (#2,095), “tech” (#2,092). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “update” is #2,094. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around update (IPA /ˈʌp.deɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,094 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for update, with forms such as "pudate", "udpate", and "upadte". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "uptake", "updated", "upstate", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From up- + date. Earliest usages from 1940s (see Citations). The correct English form is update, spelled U-P-D-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An additional piece of information, an addition to existing information.
  2. 2
    An additional piece of information, an addition to existing information.
  3. 3
    A change in information, a modification of existing or known data.
  4. 4
    A change in information, a modification of existing or known data.
  5. 5
    A version of something which is newer than other versions.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I just made an update to my blog about my trip to Rome.
  2. He gave me an update on the situation in New York.

Etymology

From up- + date. Earliest usages from 1940s (see Citations).

This word in other languages

actualización(Español)mise à jour(Français)Aktualisierung(Deutsch)atualização(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • pudate
  • udpate
  • upadte
  • updaet
  • updatte
  • upddate
  • updtae
  • uppdate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of update - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

pudate2udpate2upadte2updaet2updatte1upddate1updtae2uppdate1
Edit distance from "update"

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 "update"?
"update" is spelled U-P-D-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʌp.deɪt/.
What does "update" mean?
As a noun, "update" means: An additional piece of information, an addition to existing information.
What words are commonly confused with "update"?
"update" is commonly confused with "uptake", "updated", "upstate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "update"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "update" is /ˈʌp.deɪt/. 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 "update"?
From up- + date. Earliest usages from 1940s (see Citations). 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 "update", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

writer#2,096survey#2,091yellow#2,097native#2,082

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

illegal8 variantsbodies8 variantsbanks8 variantsstuck8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list