vibrate

/vaɪˈbɹeɪt/

//vaɪˈbɹeɪt// verb

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

"vibrate" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“vibrate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,020 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#27,020
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To shake with small, rapid movements to and fro.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

vibrate vs Virat
57% similar
vibrate vs violate
71% similar
vibrate vs vibrato
86% similar

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

Key facts for vibrate
PropertyValue
Headwordvibrate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/vaɪˈbɹeɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#27,020
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “vibrate” 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). vibrate lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for vibrate is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /vaɪˈbɹeɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,020 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for vibrate, with forms such as "ivbrate", "vbirate", and "vibarte". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "Virat", "violate", "vibrato", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective (then also used as a participle) is first attested in 1420, in Middle English, the verb in 1620; partly from Middle English vibrat(e) (“reverberant”), partly directly borrowed from Latin vibrātus, perfect passive participle of vibrō (“to agita… The correct English form is vibrate, spelled V-I-B-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To shake with small, rapid movements to and fro.
  2. 2
    To resonate.
  3. 3
    To brandish; to swing to and fro.
  4. 4
    To mark or measure by moving to and fro.
  5. 5
    To affect with vibratory motion; to set in vibration.
  6. 6
    To please or impress someone.
  7. 7
    To use vibrato.
  8. 8
    To pleasure someone using a vibrator.

Etymology

The adjective (then also used as a participle) is first attested in 1420, in Middle English, the verb in 1620; partly from Middle English vibrat(e) (“reverberant”), partly directly borrowed from Latin vibrātus, perfect passive participle of vibrō (“to agitate, set in tremulous motion”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3)), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyp- (“to oscillate, swing”) or *weyb-.

This word in other languages

vibrar(Español)vibrer(Français)vibrieren(Deutsch)vibrar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ivbrate,vbirate,vibarte,vibbrate,vibraet,vibratte,vibrrate,vibrtae,virbate,vvibrate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of vibrate - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ivbrate2vbirate2vibarte2vibbrate1vibraet2vibratte1vibrrate1vibrtae2
Edit distance from "vibrate"

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 "vibrate"?
"vibrate" is spelled V-I-B-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /vaɪˈbɹeɪt/.
What does "vibrate" mean?
As a verb, "vibrate" means: To shake with small, rapid movements to and fro.
What words are commonly confused with "vibrate"?
"vibrate" is commonly confused with "Virat", "violate", "vibrato". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "vibrate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vibrate" is /vaɪˈbɹeɪt/. 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 "vibrate"?
The adjective (then also used as a participle) is first attested in 1420, in Middle English, the verb in 1620; partly from Middle English vibrat(e) (“reverberant”), partly directly borrowed from Latin vibrātus, perfect passive participle of vibrō ... 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 “vibrate”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is V-I-B-R-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /vaɪˈbɹeɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Virat” - see the side-by-side comparison. vibrate vs Virat
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list