appropriation

/əˌpɹoʊpɹiˈeɪʃən/

//əˌpɹoʊpɹiˈeɪʃən// noun

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

"appropriation" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“appropriation” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,291 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#17,291
frequency rank, English
13
letters
18
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An act or instance of appropriating.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

appropriation vs appropriations
93% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for appropriation
PropertyValue
Headwordappropriation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˌpɹoʊpɹiˈeɪʃən/
Letters13
Frequency rank#17,291
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “appropriation” 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). appropriation 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 appropriation is 13 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˌpɹoʊpɹiˈeɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,291 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for appropriation, with forms such as "apporpriation", "appropiration", and "approppriation". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "appropriations", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English appropriacion, appropriacioun, from Medieval Latin appropriātiō. By surface analysis, appropriate + -ion. The correct English form is appropriation, spelled A-P-P-R-O-P-R-I-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An act or instance of appropriating.
  2. 2
    That which is appropriated.
  3. 3
    Public funds set aside for a specific purpose.
  4. 4
    The use of borrowed elements in the creation of a new work.
  5. 5
    The assimilation of concepts into a governing framework.
  6. 6
    In church law, the making over of a benefice to an owner who receives the tithes, but is bound to appoint a vicar for the spiritual service of the parish.
  7. 7
    The principle that supplies granted by a legislature are only to be expended in the manner specified by that legislature.

Etymology

From Middle English appropriacion, appropriacioun, from Medieval Latin appropriātiō. By surface analysis, appropriate + -ion.

This word in other languages

apropiación(Español)Aneignung(Deutsch)apropriação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apporpriation,appropiration,approppriation,appropraition,appropriaiton,appropriasion,appropriatino,appropriationn,appropriatoin,appropriattion,appropritaion,approprriation,approrpiation,apprporiation,apprropriation,apropriation,aprpopriation,papropriation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of appropriation - 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.

apporpriation2appropiration2approppriation1appropraition2appropriaiton2appropriasion1appropriatino2appropriationn1
Edit distance from "appropriation"

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 "appropriation"?
"appropriation" is spelled A-P-P-R-O-P-R-I-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əˌpɹoʊpɹiˈeɪʃən/.
What does "appropriation" mean?
As a noun, "appropriation" means: An act or instance of appropriating.
What words are commonly confused with "appropriation"?
"appropriation" is commonly confused with "appropriations". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "appropriation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "appropriation" is /əˌpɹoʊpɹiˈeɪʃən/. 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 "appropriation"?
From Middle English appropriacion, appropriacioun, from Medieval Latin appropriātiō. By surface analysis, appropriate + -ion. 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 “appropriation”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-P-P-R-O-P-R-I-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˌpɹoʊpɹiˈeɪʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “appropriations” - see the side-by-side comparison. appropriation vs appropriations
  • 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