annihilation
/əˌnaɪ.əˈleɪ.ʃən/
"annihilation" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“annihilation” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #21,721 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #21,721
- frequency rank, English
- 12
- letters
- 16
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of destroying or otherwise turning into nothing, or nonexistence.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | annihilation |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /əˌnaɪ.əˈleɪ.ʃən/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Frequency rank | #21,721 |
| Misspellings tracked | 16 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “annihilation” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for annihilation is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˌnaɪ.əˈleɪ.ʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #21,721 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for annihilation, with forms such as "anihilation", "aninhilation", and "annhiilation". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French annihilation, from Latin annihilātiō. By surface analysis, annihilate + -ion. The correct English form is annihilation, spelled A-N-N-I-H-I-L-A-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1The act of destroying or otherwise turning into nothing, or nonexistence.
- 2The act of destroying the form or combination of parts under which a thing exists, so that the name can no longer be applied to it.
- 3The state of being annihilated.
- 4The process of a particle and its corresponding antiparticle combining to produce energy.
Etymology
From Middle French annihilation, from Latin annihilātiō. By surface analysis, annihilate + -ion.
Synonyms
Antonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: anihilation,aninhilation,annhiilation,annihhilation,annihialtion,annihilaiton,annihilasion,annihilatino,annihilationn,annihilatoin,annihilattion,annihillation,annihiltaion,annihliation,anniihlation,nanihilation
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of annihilation - 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 "annihilation"?
What does "annihilation" mean?
What are common misspellings of "annihilation"?
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Using “annihilation”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-N-N-I-H-I-L-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /əˌnaɪ.əˈleɪ.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.