celebration

/ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/

//ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“celebration” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,354. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,354
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The formal performance of a solemn rite, such as Christian sacrament.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

celebration vs celebrating
82% similar
celebration vs calibration
82% similar

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

Key facts for celebration
PropertyValue
Headwordcelebration
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#4,354
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “celebration” 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). celebration lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around celebration (IPA /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,354 among 43,570 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for celebration, with forms such as "ccelebration", "ceelbration", and "celberation". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "celebrating", "calibration", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French celebration, from Latin celebratio. Equivalent to celebrate + -ion. The correct English form is celebration, spelled C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The formal performance of a solemn rite, such as Christian sacrament.
  2. 2
    The observance of a holiday or feast day, as by solemnities.
  3. 3
    The act, process of showing appreciation, gratitude and/or remembrance, notably as a social event.
  4. 4
    A social gathering for entertainment and fun; a party.

Etymology

From Old French celebration, from Latin celebratio. Equivalent to celebrate + -ion.

Synonyms

celebrationentertainmentfeastfestivalfestivityfunctiongatheringfete

This word in other languages

celebración(Español)célébration(Français)Feier(Deutsch)celebração(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccelebration,ceelbration,celberation,celebartion,celebbration,celebraiton,celebrasion,celebratino,celebrationn,celebratoin,celebrattion,celebrration,celebrtaion,celerbation,cellebration,cleebration,eclebration

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccelebration1ceelbration2celberation2celebartion2celebbration1celebraiton2celebrasion1celebratino2
Edit distance from "celebration"

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 "celebration"?
"celebration" is spelled C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/.
What does "celebration" mean?
As a noun, "celebration" means: The formal performance of a solemn rite, such as Christian sacrament.
What words are commonly confused with "celebration"?
"celebration" is commonly confused with "celebrating", "calibration". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "celebration"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "celebration" is /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.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 "celebration"?
From Old French celebration, from Latin celebratio. Equivalent to celebrate + -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 “celebration”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “celebrating” - see the side-by-side comparison. celebration vs celebrating
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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