attribution

/ˌæ.tɹɪˈbju.ʃən/

//ˌæ.tɹɪˈbju.ʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“attribution” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,019. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,019
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of attributing something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-attribution · attribution · English

attribution · rank #18,019 · 15 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,019
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH avant

Nearest frequency peer: avant (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “attribution”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “attribution” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

attribution vs attrition
82% similar
attribution vs attributing
82% similar

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

Key facts for attribution
PropertyValue
Headwordattribution
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌæ.tɹɪˈbju.ʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#18,019
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “attribution”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).attributionlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “avant” (#18,020), “Assange” (#18,017), “baffled” (#18,021). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “attribution” is #18,019. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around attribution (IPA /ˌæ.tɹɪˈbju.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #18,019 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for attribution, with forms such as "atribution", "atrtibution", and "attirbution". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "attrition", "attributing", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French attribution, from Latin attributio. The correct English form is attribution, spelled A-T-T-R-I-B-U-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of attributing something.
  2. 2
    An explicit or formal acknowledgment of ownership or authorship.
  3. 3
    A legal doctrine by which liability is extended to a defendant who did not actually commit the tortious or criminal act.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how attribution appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The attribution of the quote is widely regarded as dubious.

Etymology

From Middle French attribution, from Latin attributio.

This word in other languages

atribución(Español)Zuschreibung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atribution
  • atrtibution
  • attirbution
  • attrbiution
  • attribbution
  • attribtuion
  • attribuiton
  • attribusion
  • attributino
  • attributionn
  • attributoin
  • attributtion
  • attriubtion
  • attrribution
  • tatribution

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of attribution - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

atribution1atrtibution2attirbution2attrbiution2attribbution1attribtuion2attribuiton2attribusion1
Edit distance from "attribution"

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 "attribution"?
"attribution" is spelled A-T-T-R-I-B-U-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌæ.tɹɪˈbju.ʃən/.
What does "attribution" mean?
As a noun, "attribution" means: The act of attributing something.
What words are commonly confused with "attribution"?
"attribution" is commonly confused with "attrition", "attributing". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "attribution"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "attribution" is /ˌæ.tɹɪˈbju.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 "attribution"?
From Middle French attribution, from Latin attributio. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "attribution", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

adolescence#18,003undisclosed#17,986transformer#17,981notoriously#17,911

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

decorating15 variantstoothpaste15 variantsstimulated15 variantssaturation15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list