accusation
/ˌæk.jʊˈzeɪ.ʃ(ə)n/noun
accusation is spelled A-C-C-U-S-A-T-I-O-N: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 4.0 times per million words in written English, the 12,940th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, accusation means “The act of accusing” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of accusation is accusations.
How many letters and syllables are in accusation?
| Letters | 10: A-C-C-U-S-A-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.0 times per million words; the 12,940th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is accusation?
Accusation appears 4.0 times per million words in written English, the 12,940th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce accusation?
- US /ˌæk.jʊˈzeɪ.ʃ(ə)n/
Accusation has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-accusation.ogg, LL-Q7979-Soundguys-accusation.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with accusation?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as accusation from its last stressed vowel (/eɪʃn/):
- information
- formation
- preparation
- presentation
- relation
- identification
- observation
- variation
- obligation
- simulation
- notification
- calculation
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of accusation
- accusations plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does accusation mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The act of accusing.
- 2
A formal charge brought against a person in a court of law.
- 3
An allegation.
ungrounded accusations
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Accusation in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense act of accusing or charging with a crime:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | accusation |
| German | Anklage, Beschuldigung |
| Portuguese | acusação |
| Spanish | acusación |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does accusation come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).