Credit: Patrick Feller, Flickr

To paginate means to assign numbers to pages in a book or document. This makes each page easy to locate through an index and gives the work a sequential, ordered structure. If one does not paginate their writing, it can lead to problems with the reader getting confused or lost.

The word’s noun form is pagination, which refers to the act of assigning numbers to a page. Pagination can ensure that if pages become loose and muddled up, the correct order can again be found.

Pronunciation can be tricky if one tries to speak the word with the ‘page’ sound. The word instead uses a sound resembling ‘padge’: PADGE-IN-ATE.

Ability to seamlessly incorporate into every-day writing: 5/10 (Challenging)

Example of use:
Before submitting, the wary student decided to paginate their assignment, not trusting the single strip of metal holding the document together.