I complained about this awhile back ... apparently some dictionaries consider the two words equivalent ....

[eppur_se_muova]

.... but I think there's some difference between US and UK English there as well.

Is “Orientate” a Real Word?

Now let’s get to the bottom of it—is orientate a real word? Yes, it is. Both Merriam-Webster and the Oxford English Dictionary define the word orientate. It is a variant of and synonymous with the word orient. Although it’s slightly younger compared to the word orient, according to Merriam-Webster, it’s been around since the 18th Century.

It is more common to find orientate being used in British English, but orient is still more popular, too.

Remember, orientate is only a real word when used as a verb. Orientate cannot take the place of the noun orient.

So, Is It “Orient” or “Orientate”?

At the end of the day, both words are acceptable, and therefore you could use either in your writing. Just be warned that orientate can seem “wrong” or unfamiliar to some audiences, especially American English readers. It’s worth noting that this word is not nearly as controversial as irregardless—a word that is considered nonstandard and will be detected by LanguageTool, an intelligent text editor. Additionally, this writing assistant will also correct all types of spelling and grammar errors and suggest stylistic improvements.