aviation

/ˌeɪ̯.viːˈeɪ̯.ʃən/

//ˌeɪ̯.viːˈeɪ̯.ʃən// noun

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

"aviation" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“aviation” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,390 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,390
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The art or science of making and flying aircraft.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

aviation vs aviator
75% similar
aviation vs ablation
75% similar
aviation vs animation
78% similar

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

Key facts for aviation
PropertyValue
Headwordaviation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌeɪ̯.viːˈeɪ̯.ʃən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#5,390
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “aviation” 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). aviation 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 aviation is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌeɪ̯.viːˈeɪ̯.ʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,390 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for aviation, with forms such as "aivation", "avaition", and "aviaiton". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "aviator", "ablation", "animation", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French aviation, derived from Latin avis (“bird”). By surface analysis, avi- + -ation. The correct English form is aviation, spelled A-V-I-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The art or science of making and flying aircraft.
  2. 2
    Flying, operating, or operation of aircraft.
  3. 3
    Industry that produces aircraft.
  4. 4
    Aircraft.
  5. 5
    A cocktail made with gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice.

Etymology

Borrowed from French aviation, derived from Latin avis (“bird”). By surface analysis, avi- + -ation.

This word in other languages

aviación(Español)aviation(Français)Luftfahrt(Deutsch)aviação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aivation,avaition,aviaiton,aviasion,aviatino,aviationn,aviatoin,aviattion,avitaion,avviation,vaiation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aivation2avaition2aviaiton2aviasion1aviatino2aviationn1aviatoin2aviattion1
Edit distance from "aviation"

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 "aviation"?
"aviation" is spelled A-V-I-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌeɪ̯.viːˈeɪ̯.ʃən/.
What does "aviation" mean?
As a noun, "aviation" means: The art or science of making and flying aircraft.
What words are commonly confused with "aviation"?
"aviation" is commonly confused with "aviator", "ablation", "animation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "aviation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "aviation" is /ˌeɪ̯.viːˈeɪ̯.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 "aviation"?
Borrowed from French aviation, derived from Latin avis (“bird”). By surface analysis, avi- + -ation. 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 “aviation”

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

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