assimilation

/əˌsɪməˈleɪʃən/

//əˌsɪməˈleɪʃən// noun

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

"assimilation" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“assimilation” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,576 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#22,576
frequency rank, English
12
letters
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of assimilating or the state of being assimilated.

Key facts for assimilation
PropertyValue
Headwordassimilation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˌsɪməˈleɪʃən/
Letters12
Frequency rank#22,576
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “assimilation” 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). assimilation 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 assimilation is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˌsɪməˈleɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,576 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 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 assimilation, with forms such as "asimilation", "asismilation", and "assiimlation". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Medieval Latin assimilatio. By surface analysis, assimilate + -ion. The correct English form is assimilation, spelled A-S-S-I-M-I-L-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of assimilating or the state of being assimilated.
  2. 2
    The metabolic conversion of nutrients into tissue.
  3. 3
    The absorption of new ideas into an existing cognitive structure.
  4. 4
    A sound change process by which the phonetics of a speech segment becomes more like that of another segment in a word (or at a word boundary), so that a change of phoneme occurs.
  5. 5
    The adoption, by a minority group, of the customs and attitudes of the dominant culture.

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin assimilatio. By surface analysis, assimilate + -ion.

Antonyms

dissimilation

This word in other languages

asimilación(Español)assimilation(Français)Angleichung(Deutsch)assimilação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: asimilation,asismilation,assiimlation,assimialtion,assimilaiton,assimilasion,assimilatino,assimilationn,assimilatoin,assimilattion,assimillation,assimiltaion,assimliation,assimmilation,assmiilation,sasimilation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

asimilation1asismilation2assiimlation2assimialtion2assimilaiton2assimilasion1assimilatino2assimilationn1
Edit distance from "assimilation"

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 "assimilation"?
"assimilation" is spelled A-S-S-I-M-I-L-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əˌsɪməˈleɪʃən/.
What does "assimilation" mean?
As a noun, "assimilation" means: The act of assimilating or the state of being assimilated.
What are common misspellings of "assimilation"?
Common misspellings include "asimilation", "asismilation", "assiimlation", "assimialtion", "assimilaiton". The correct spelling is "assimilation".
How do you pronounce "assimilation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "assimilation" is /əˌsɪməˈleɪʃən/. 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 "assimilation"?
Borrowed from Medieval Latin assimilatio. By surface analysis, assimilate + -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 “assimilation”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-S-S-I-M-I-L-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˌsɪməˈleɪʃən/ (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