variegate

/ˈvɛɹiəɡeɪt/

//ˈvɛɹiəɡeɪt// verb

"variegate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“variegate” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To add variety to something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-variegate · variegate · English

variegate · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "V" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for variegate
PropertyValue
Headwordvariegate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈvɛɹiəɡeɪt/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “variegate” in English

variegateranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

variegate is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈvɛɹiəɡeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for variegate, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Late Latin variegāre (“to make of various sorts or colors”), from Latin varius (“various”) + agere (“to make, do”). The correct English form is variegate, spelled V-A-R-I-E-G-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To add variety to something.
  2. 2
    To change the appearance of something, especially by covering with patches or streaks of different colour.
  3. 3
    To dapple.

Etymology

From Late Latin variegāre (“to make of various sorts or colors”), from Latin varius (“various”) + agere (“to make, do”).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "variegate"?
"variegate" is spelled V-A-R-I-E-G-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɛɹiəɡeɪt/.
What does "variegate" mean?
As a verb, "variegate" means: To add variety to something.
How do you pronounce "variegate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "variegate" is /ˈvɛɹiəɡeɪt/. 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 "variegate"?
From Late Latin variegāre (“to make of various sorts or colors”), from Latin varius (“various”) + agere (“to make, do”). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list