cremation

/kɹɪˈmeɪʃən/

//kɹɪˈmeɪʃən// noun

"cremation" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cremation” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,739 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#26,739
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A burning; especially the act or practice of cremating the dead, burning a corpse.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cremation vs creation
89% similar

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

Key facts for cremation
PropertyValue
Headwordcremation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɹɪˈmeɪʃən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#26,739
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cremation” 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). cremation lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for cremation is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kɹɪˈmeɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #26,739 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A burning; especially the act or practice of cremating the dead, burning a corpse.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for cremation, with forms such as "ccremation", "cermation", and "creamtion". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "creation", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin cremātiō, cremātiōnis; equivalent to cremate + -ion. The correct English form is cremation, spelled C-R-E-M-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A burning; especially the act or practice of cremating the dead, burning a corpse.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cremātiō, cremātiōnis; equivalent to cremate + -ion.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccremation,cermation,creamtion,cremaiton,cremasion,crematino,cremationn,crematoin,cremattion,cremmation,cremtaion,crmeation,crremation,rcemation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cremation - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ccremation1cermation2creamtion2cremaiton2cremasion1crematino2cremationn1crematoin2
Edit distance from "cremation"

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 "cremation"?
"cremation" is spelled C-R-E-M-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kɹɪˈmeɪʃən/.
What does "cremation" mean?
As a noun, "cremation" means: A burning; especially the act or practice of cremating the dead, burning a corpse.
What words are commonly confused with "cremation"?
"cremation" is commonly confused with "creation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cremation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cremation" is /kɹɪˈmeɪʃən/. 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 "cremation"?
Borrowed from Latin cremātiō, cremātiōnis; equivalent to cremate + -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 “cremation”

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

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