affectation

/ˌæf.ɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/

//ˌæf.ɛkˈteɪ.ʃən// noun

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

"affectation" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“affectation” is an uncommon English word, ranked #67,205 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#67,205
frequency rank, English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An attempt to assume or exhibit what is not natural or real; false display; artificial show.

Key facts for affectation
PropertyValue
Headwordaffectation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌæf.ɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#67,205
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “affectation” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). affectation lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for affectation is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌæf.ɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #67,205 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

affectation doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French affectation and its etymon Latin affectātiōnem, from affectō (“I feign”). By surface analysis, affect + -ation. The correct English form is affectation, spelled A-F-F-E-C-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An attempt to assume or exhibit what is not natural or real; false display; artificial show.
  2. 2
    An unusual mannerism.
  3. 3
    An ostentatious fondness for something.

Etymology

From Middle French affectation and its etymon Latin affectātiōnem, from affectō (“I feign”). By surface analysis, affect + -ation.

Synonyms

eccentricitymannerismairs

This word in other languages

afectación(Español)affectation(Français)Geschraubtheit(Deutsch)

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 "affectation"?
"affectation" is spelled A-F-F-E-C-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌæf.ɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/.
What does "affectation" mean?
As a noun, "affectation" means: An attempt to assume or exhibit what is not natural or real; false display; artificial show.
How do you pronounce "affectation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "affectation" is /ˌæf.ɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/. 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 "affectation"?
From Middle French affectation and its etymon Latin affectātiōnem, from affectō (“I feign”). By surface analysis, affect + -ation. 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.

Using “affectation”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-F-F-E-C-T-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌæf.ɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list