capitation

/kapɪˈteɪʃən/

//kapɪˈteɪʃən// noun

"capitation" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“capitation” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Performing a headcount; the counting of people.

Corpus desk

Index EN-capitation · capitation · English

capitation · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for capitation
PropertyValue
Headwordcapitation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kapɪˈteɪʃən/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “capitation” in English

capitationranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

capitation is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /kapɪˈteɪʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for capitation in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin capitātiōnem, from caput (“head”). The correct English form is capitation, spelled C-A-P-I-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Performing a headcount; the counting of people.
  2. 2
    A head tax.
  3. 3
    A system of remuneration for providers of health care, in which providers enroll patients as permanent clients and receive a fixed periodic payment for each enrollee.
  4. 4
    A donation made to an educational institution to obtain admission.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Capitation started out as a popular method for reimbursing primary care physicians/gatekeepers. Now capitated contracts can be seen in every area of healthcare... ... because of varying volumes, not all specialty care providers should be capitated at the same time. For example, higher volume services (e.g., laboratory, radiology, orthopedics, and cardiolo…

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin capitātiōnem, from caput (“head”).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "capitation"?
"capitation" is spelled C-A-P-I-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kapɪˈteɪʃən/.
What does "capitation" mean?
As a noun, "capitation" means: Performing a headcount; the counting of people.
How do you pronounce "capitation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "capitation" is /kapɪˈteɪʃən/. 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 "capitation"?
Learned borrowing from Latin capitātiōnem, from caput (“head”). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list