aberration
/ˌæb.əˈɹeɪ.ʃn̩/
"aberration" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“aberration” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,530 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #29,530
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of wandering; deviation from truth, moral rectitude; abnormal; divergence from the straight, correct, proper, normal, or from the natural state.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | aberration |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌæb.əˈɹeɪ.ʃn̩/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #29,530 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “aberration” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for aberration is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌæb.əˈɹeɪ.ʃn̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,530 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for aberration, with forms such as "abberration", "aberartion", and "aberation". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: A learned borrowing from Latin aberrātiō(n) (“relief, diversion”), first attested in 1594, from aberrō (“wander away, go astray”), from ab (“away”) + errō (“wander”). Compare French aberration. By surface analysis, aberrat(e) + -ion. The correct English form is aberration, spelled A-B-E-R-R-A-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1The act of wandering; deviation from truth, moral rectitude; abnormal; divergence from the straight, correct, proper, normal, or from the natural state.
- 2The convergence to different foci, by a lens or mirror, of rays of light emanating from one and the same point, or the deviation of such rays from a single focus; a defect in a focusing mechanism that prevents the intended focal point.
- 3A small periodical change of the apparent positions of the stars and other heavenly bodies, due to the combined effect of the motion of light and the motion of the observer.
- 4A small periodical change of the apparent positions of the stars and other heavenly bodies, due to the combined effect of the motion of light and the motion of the observer.
- 5A partial alienation of reason.
- 6Any creature with supernatural powers not found in the organized classes of beings in a given setting.
- 7A mental disorder, especially one of a minor or temporary character.
- 8Atypical development or structure; deviation from the normal type; an aberrant organ.
- 9A deviation of a tissue, organ or mental functions from what is considered to be within the normal range.
- 10A defect in an image produced by an optical or electrostatic lens system.
Etymology
A learned borrowing from Latin aberrātiō(n) (“relief, diversion”), first attested in 1594, from aberrō (“wander away, go astray”), from ab (“away”) + errō (“wander”). Compare French aberration. By surface analysis, aberrat(e) + -ion.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: abberration,aberartion,aberation,aberraiton,aberrasion,aberratino,aberrationn,aberratoin,aberrattion,aberrtaion,abreration,aebrration,baerration
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of aberration - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "aberration"?
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Using “aberration”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-B-E-R-R-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌæb.əˈɹeɪ.ʃn̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English 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.