civilisation

/ˌsɪv.ɪ.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/

//ˌsɪv.ɪ.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“civilisation” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,793. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,793
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords
18
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong, and Commonwealth spelling of civilization.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

civilisation vs civilization
92% similar

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

Key facts for civilisation
PropertyValue
Headwordcivilisation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌsɪv.ɪ.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/
Letters12
Frequency rank#17,793
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “civilisation” 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). civilisation 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 18 spelling variants around civilisation (IPA /ˌsɪv.ɪ.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,793 among 43,570 “C” headwords. Dominant gloss: "UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong, and Commonwealth spelling of civilization.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for civilisation, with forms such as "ccivilisation", "ciivlisation", and "civiilsation". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "civilization", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French civilisation, equivalent to civilise + -ation or civil + -isation. The correct English form is civilisation, spelled C-I-V-I-L-I-S-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong, and Commonwealth spelling of civilization.

Etymology

Borrowed from French civilisation, equivalent to civilise + -ation or civil + -isation.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccivilisation
  • ciivlisation
  • civiilsation
  • civiliastion
  • civilisaiton
  • civilisasion
  • civilisatino
  • civilisationn
  • civilisatoin
  • civilisattion
  • civilissation
  • civilistaion
  • civillisation
  • civilsiation
  • civliisation
  • civvilisation
  • cviilisation
  • icvilisation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccivilisation1ciivlisation2civiilsation2civiliastion2civilisaiton2civilisasion1civilisatino2civilisationn1
Edit distance from "civilisation"

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 "civilisation"?
"civilisation" is spelled C-I-V-I-L-I-S-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌsɪv.ɪ.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/.
What does "civilisation" mean?
As a noun, "civilisation" means: UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong, and Commonwealth spelling of civilization.
What words are commonly confused with "civilisation"?
"civilisation" is commonly confused with "civilization". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "civilisation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "civilisation" is /ˌsɪv.ɪ.laɪˈzeɪ.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 "civilisation"?
Borrowed from French civilisation, equivalent to civilise + -ation or civil + -isation. 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 “civilisation”

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

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