agate

\a.ɡat\

/\a.ɡat\/ noun

The verdict

“agate” is an uncommon French word, ranked #52,463 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#52,463
frequency rank, French
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Variété de quartz, agrégation de plusieurs formes de silices qui prend parfaitement le poli et varie pour les couleurs.

Key facts for agate
PropertyValue
Headwordagate
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\a.ɡat\
Letters5
Frequency rank#52,463
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “agate” sits in French 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). agate 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 French entry for agate is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \a.ɡat\. Corpus data places it at rank #52,463 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for agate in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is agate, spelled A-G-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Variété de quartz, agrégation de plusieurs formes de silices qui prend parfaitement le poli et varie pour les couleurs.
  2. 2
    Objet fait de cette pierre.
  3. 3
    Instrument dans lequel est enchâssée une agate et qui sert à brunir l’or ou d’autres métaux.
  4. 4
    Bille en verre avec des filaments multicolores à l’intérieur, cornaline. Terme notamment employé par opposition aux billes en terre cuite peintes en usage jusque vers les années 1970.

This word in other languages

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "agate"?
"agate" is spelled A-G-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is \a.ɡat\.
What does "agate" mean?
As a noun, "agate" means: Variété de quartz, agrégation de plusieurs formes de silices qui prend parfaitement le poli et varie pour les couleurs.
How do you pronounce "agate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "agate" is \a.ɡat\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "agate" come from?
"agate" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “agate”

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

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