The letters ACTE can only spell one 4-letter word, the given name Cate.
Shorter words are:
ace, act, ate, cat, eat, tea, at, a
Those letters spell natural.
The letters in "these letters" can spell the phrase "ether settles." The letters can spell shorter words such as trestles, sheerest, shelters, and treeless.
An acte gratuit is an impulsive act which lacks a motive.
Those letters will spell dollar.
The letters spell 'broccoli'.
Those letters spell psycho.
Those letters will spell carnivore.
Those letters spell delicate.
Those letters will spell artichoke.
Those letters will spell democratic.
Those letters will spell turnip.
The letters can spell the anagram "annotation."