# acceleration

> English word · Noun · IPA /əkˌsɛl.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ · frequency rank #10,640

## Definitions
1. The act of accelerating, or the state of being accelerated; increase of motion or action; as opposed to retardation or deceleration.
2. The amount by which a speed or velocity increases (and so a scalar quantity or a vector quantity).
3. The change of velocity with respect to time (can include deceleration or changing direction).
4. The advancement of students at a rate that places them ahead of where they would be in the regular school curriculum.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd
Proto-Italic *ad
Proto-Italic *ad-
Latin ad-
Proto-Indo-European *kel-der.
Latin celer
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Italic *-āō
Latin -ō
Latin celerō
Latin accelerō
Proto-Indo-European *-tisder.
Proto-Italic *-tjō
Latin -tiō
Latin accelerātiōder.
English acceleration
First attested in 1531. From French accélération or more likely directly from Latin accelerātiō (“a hastening, acceleration”). Equivalent to accelerate + -ion.

## Easily confused with
- **accelerator** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/acceleration-vs-accelerator)
- **accelerating** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/accelerating-vs-acceleration)

## Common misspellings (16)
`acceelration`, `acceleartion`, `acceleraiton`, `accelerasion`, `acceleratino`, `accelerationn`, `acceleratoin`, `accelerattion`, `accelerration`, `accelertaion`, `accelleration`, `accelreation`, `accleeration`, `acecleration`, `aceleration`, `caceleration`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/acceleration