connotation

/ˌkɒnəˈteɪʃən/

//ˌkɒnəˈteɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“connotation” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,119. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,119
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A meaning of a word or phrase that is suggested or implied, as opposed to a denotation, or literal meaning. A characteristic of words or phrases, or of the contexts that words and phrases are used in.

Corpus desk

Index EN-connotation · connotation · English

connotation · rank #31,119 · 15 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,119
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH constitutiona…

Nearest frequency peer: constitutionality (+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 “connotation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “connotation” 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).

connotation vs consolation
82% similar
connotation vs convocation
82% similar

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

Key facts for connotation
PropertyValue
Headwordconnotation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌkɒnəˈteɪʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#31,119
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “connotation”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).connotationlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “constitutionality” (#31,120), “conceivably” (#31,117), “communicative” (#31,115). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “connotation” is #31,119. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around connotation (IPA /ˌkɒnəˈteɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #31,119 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for connotation, with forms such as "cconnotation", "cnonotation", and "connoattion". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "consolation", "convocation", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Medieval Latin connotātiō, from connotō (“I mark in addition”), from Latin con- (“together, with”) + noto (“I note”); equivalent to connote + -ation. The correct English form is connotation, spelled C-O-N-N-O-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A meaning of a word or phrase that is suggested or implied, as opposed to a denotation, or literal meaning. A characteristic of words or phrases, or of the contexts that words and phrases are used in.
  2. 2
    The attribute or aggregate of attributes connoted by a term, contrasted with denotation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The word "advisedly" has a connotation of "wisely", although it denotes merely "intentionally" and "deliberately."
  2. The word "happy" has a positive connotation, while "sad" has a negative connotation.

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin connotātiō, from connotō (“I mark in addition”), from Latin con- (“together, with”) + noto (“I note”); equivalent to connote + -ation.

Synonyms

intent

Antonyms

denotation

This word in other languages

connotación(Español)connotation(Français)Konnotation(Deutsch)conotação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cconnotation
  • cnonotation
  • connoattion
  • connotaiton
  • connotasion
  • connotatino
  • connotationn
  • connotatoin
  • connotattion
  • connottaion
  • connottation
  • conntoation
  • conontation
  • conotation
  • ocnnotation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cconnotation1cnonotation2connoattion2connotaiton2connotasion1connotatino2connotationn1connotatoin2
Edit distance from "connotation"

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 "connotation"?
"connotation" is spelled C-O-N-N-O-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkɒnəˈteɪʃən/.
What does "connotation" mean?
As a noun, "connotation" means: A meaning of a word or phrase that is suggested or implied, as opposed to a denotation, or literal meaning. A characteristic of words or phrases, or of the contexts that words and phrases are used in.
What words are commonly confused with "connotation"?
"connotation" is commonly confused with "consolation", "convocation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "connotation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "connotation" is /ˌkɒnəˈteɪʃən/. 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 "connotation"?
Borrowed from Medieval Latin connotātiō, from connotō (“I mark in addition”), from Latin con- (“together, with”) + noto (“I note”); equivalent to connote + -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 "connotation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

conceivably#31,117catchphrase#31,100Brandenburg#31,090autocorrect#31,073

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

depository15 variantsdisqualify15 variantsempathetic15 variantshopelessness15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list