copulation

/kɒp.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/

//kɒp.jəˈleɪ.ʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“copulation” is uncommon English (frequency #50,438 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,438
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of coupling or joining; union; conjunction.

Key facts for copulation
PropertyValue
Headwordcopulation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɒp.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#50,438
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “copulation” 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). copulation lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

copulation is uncommon English at frequency #50,438 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /kɒp.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for copulation, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French copulation, from Latin copulo (“I join, unite, connect”). The correct English form is copulation, spelled C-O-P-U-L-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of coupling or joining; union; conjunction.
  2. 2
    Sexual procreation between a man and a woman or transfer of the sperm from male to female; usually applied to the mating process in nonhuman animals; coitus; coition.

Etymology

From Middle French copulation, from Latin copulo (“I join, unite, connect”).

Synonyms

aphrodisiacarnal knowledgecoituscoitioncommercecommixtioncongressconjunctionconnectionconsummationconversationcopulationcouplingintercourseintimacyintimate relationsintromissionjoininglovemakinglustmakingmatingmountingpareuniapenetrationrelationssexsexual congresssexual intercoursesexual relationsexual unionswivingunionthe beast with two backsthe birds and the beesboom-boomchesterfield rugbyhorizontal dancinghorizontal hulahorizontal jogginghorizontal mambohorizontal refreshmentshow's your fatherloveNetflix and chillphysical loveroll in the hayUgandan affairsUgandan discussionsactionassbangbarney-muggingbeef injectionbonkingcuntfuckfuckingfrigfucky-fuckyhot beef injectionhumphumpa humpajig-jigjiggy-jiggylaylegovermeat injectionnookieold hatpipeplowploughpoonpoontangpunanipussyriderootrumporumpy-pumpyseeing-tosexy timesexy timesscrewscrewingshagskinsnu snutangtrimhanky-pankyfunny businessmaking whoopeejiggery-pokerymonkey businessfooling aboutfooling aroundplaying around

Antonyms

abstinence

This word in other languages

cópula(Español)copulation(Français)Verbindung(Deutsch)cópula(Português)

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 "copulation"?
"copulation" is spelled C-O-P-U-L-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kɒp.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/.
What does "copulation" mean?
As a noun, "copulation" means: The act of coupling or joining; union; conjunction.
How do you pronounce "copulation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "copulation" is /kɒp.jəˈleɪ.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 "copulation"?
From Middle French copulation, from Latin copulo (“I join, unite, connect”). 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 “copulation”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-P-U-L-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kɒp.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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