accusation

/ˌæk.jʊˈzeɪ.ʃ(ə)n/

//ˌæk.jʊˈzeɪ.ʃ(ə)n// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"accusation" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“accusation” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,897. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,897
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of accusing.

Corpus desk

Index EN-accusation · accusation · English

accusation · rank #12,897 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,897
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH adapter

Nearest frequency peer: adapter (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “accusation”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “accusation” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for accusation
PropertyValue
Headwordaccusation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌæk.jʊˈzeɪ.ʃ(ə)n/
Letters10
Frequency rank#12,897
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “accusation”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).accusationlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “adapter” (#12,898), “adjustable” (#12,899), “youths” (#12,894). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “accusation” is #12,897. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around accusation (IPA /ˌæk.jʊˈzeɪ.ʃ(ə)n/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,897 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for accusation, with forms such as "accsuation", "accuastion", and "accusaiton". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in the late 14th century. Inherited from Middle English accusacion, borrowed from Old French acusacion (French: accusation), from Latin accūsātiō (“accusation, indictment”), from accūsō (“blame, accuse”). Doublet of accusatio. More at accuse.… The correct English form is accusation, spelled A-C-C-U-S-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of accusing.
  2. 2
    A formal charge brought against a person in a court of law.
  3. 3
    An allegation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how accusation appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. We come not by the way of accusation / To taint that honour every good tongue blesses.
  2. [They] set up over his head his accusation.

Etymology

First attested in the late 14th century. Inherited from Middle English accusacion, borrowed from Old French acusacion (French: accusation), from Latin accūsātiō (“accusation, indictment”), from accūsō (“blame, accuse”). Doublet of accusatio. More at accuse. Equivalent to accuse + -ation.

Synonyms

allegationassertioncensurechargecriminationdetectionimpeachment

This word in other languages

acusación(Español)accusation(Français)Anklage(Deutsch)acusação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • accsuation
  • accuastion
  • accusaiton
  • accusasion
  • accusatino
  • accusationn
  • accusatoin
  • accusattion
  • accussation
  • accustaion
  • acucsation
  • acusation
  • cacusation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of accusation - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

accsuation2accuastion2accusaiton2accusasion1accusatino2accusationn1accusatoin2accusattion1
Edit distance from "accusation"

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 "accusation"?
"accusation" is spelled A-C-C-U-S-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌæk.jʊˈzeɪ.ʃ(ə)n/.
What does "accusation" mean?
As a noun, "accusation" means: The act of accusing.
What are common misspellings of "accusation"?
Common misspellings include "accsuation", "accuastion", "accusaiton", "accusasion", "accusatino". The correct spelling is "accusation".
How do you pronounce "accusation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "accusation" is /ˌæk.jʊˈzeɪ.ʃ(ə)n/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "accusation"?
First attested in the late 14th century. Inherited from Middle English accusacion, borrowed from Old French acusacion (French: accusation), from Latin accūsātiō (“accusation, indictment”), from accūsō (“blame, accuse”). Doublet of accusatio. More ... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "accusation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

adjustable#12,899underrated#12,881trajectory#12,878resentment#12,849

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

adulthood13 variantsastronaut13 variantsthrilling13 variantsbrowsing13 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list