approximation
/əˌpɹɑk.sɪˈmeɪ.ʃən/noun
approximation is spelled A-P-P-R-O-X-I-M-A-T-I-O-N: 13 letters and 5 syllables. It appears 2.1 times per million words in written English, the 19,077th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, approximation means “The act, process or result of approximating, as” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of approximation is approximations.
How many letters and syllables are in approximation?
| Letters | 13: A-P-P-R-O-X-I-M-A-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 5 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.1 times per million words; the 19,077th 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 approximation?
Approximation appears 2.1 times per million words in written English, the 19,077th 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 approximation?
- UK /əˌpɹɒk.sɪˈmeɪ.ʃən/
- UK [əˌpɹɒk.sɪˈmeɪ.ʃn̩]
- US /əˌpɹɑk.sɪˈmeɪ.ʃən/
Approximation has 5 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-approximation.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Ajshul-approximation.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with approximation?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as approximation from its last stressed vowel (/eɪʃən/):
- situation
- association
- population
- administration
- operation
- organization
- application
- location
- generation
- foundation
- conversation
- investigation
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 approximation
- approximations plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does approximation mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The act, process or result of approximating, as
- 2
An imprecise solution or result that is adequate for a defined purpose.
- 3
The act of bringing together the edges of tissue to be sutured.
- 4
The act of producing a near-simulation of the pronunciation of a foreign language for a loanword therefrom, or any given pronunciation resulting from that act.
For some loanwords borrowed from French into English, the standard English pronunciation is an approximation of the French, as with denoument.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Approximation in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | rapprochement , approximation |
| German | Approximieren , Approximation |
| Portuguese | aproximação |
| Spanish | aproximación |
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 approximation come from?
From approximate + -ion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).