computation

/ˌkɒmpjʊˈteɪʃn̩/

//ˌkɒmpjʊˈteɪʃn̩// noun

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

The verdict

“computation” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,275. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,275
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act or process of computing; calculation; reckoning.

Corpus desk

Index EN-computation · computation · English

computation · rank #18,275 · 17 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,275
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH compounded

Nearest frequency peer: compounded (-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 “computation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “computation” 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).

computation vs computational
85% similar
computation vs competition
82% similar
computation vs compilation
82% similar

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

Key facts for computation
PropertyValue
Headwordcomputation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌkɒmpjʊˈteɪʃn̩/
Letters11
Frequency rank#18,275
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “computation”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).computationlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “compounded” (#18,274), “conjecture” (#18,276), “complimentary” (#18,273). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “computation” is #18,275. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around computation (IPA /ˌkɒmpjʊˈteɪʃn̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #18,275 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for computation, with forms such as "ccomputation", "cmoputation", and "commputation". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "computational", "competition", "compilation", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From late Middle English computacioun, from Middle French computation, from Latin computatiō, from computare (“sum up, reckon, compute”); see compute. Morphologically compute + -ation. The correct English form is computation, spelled C-O-M-P-U-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act or process of computing; calculation; reckoning.
  2. 2
    The result of computation; the amount computed.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. As there are some naturally deficient in the power of computation, others in an ear for harmony, so Francis Evelyn was utterly devoid of truth—he neither understood its moral beauty nor its actual utility.

Etymology

From late Middle English computacioun, from Middle French computation, from Latin computatiō, from computare (“sum up, reckon, compute”); see compute. Morphologically compute + -ation.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccomputation
  • cmoputation
  • commputation
  • compputation
  • comptuation
  • compuattion
  • computaiton
  • computasion
  • computatino
  • computationn
  • computatoin
  • computattion
  • computtaion
  • computtation
  • comuptation
  • copmutation
  • ocmputation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccomputation1cmoputation2commputation1compputation1comptuation2compuattion2computaiton2computasion1
Edit distance from "computation"

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 "computation"?
"computation" is spelled C-O-M-P-U-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkɒmpjʊˈteɪʃn̩/.
What does "computation" mean?
As a noun, "computation" means: The act or process of computing; calculation; reckoning.
What words are commonly confused with "computation"?
"computation" is commonly confused with "computational", "competition", "compilation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "computation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "computation" is /ˌkɒmpjʊˈteɪʃn̩/. 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 "computation"?
From late Middle English computacioun, from Middle French computation, from Latin computatiō, from computare (“sum up, reckon, compute”); see compute. Morphologically compute + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

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

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list