rate is on the Basic English 850 List.
rat - rate - ray
rate is one of the 1000 most common headwords.
range - rate - rather

Pronunciation change

Noun change

Singular
rate

Plural
rates

Rate is on the Academic Vocabulary List.
  1. Speed. A rate is how fast something happens. Something can go at a fast rate or a slow rate.
    The rate of water pouring out of the lake into the river is enough to make the lake empty in a year if it doesn't rain.
    Her heart rate is 70 beats every minute.
    If we keep writing pages at this rate we might have 2000 Simple English Wiktionary words by August 4.

Verb change

Plain form
rate

Third-person singular
rates

Past tense
rated

Past participle
rated

Present participle
rating

  1. Someone rates something when they decide how much its value is (how much it's worth).
    I rate this book at six out of ten: it was not the best book.