defecation
/ˌdɛfɪˈkeɪʃən/
"defecation" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“defecation” is an uncommon English word, ranked #52,261 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #52,261
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act or process of voiding feces from the bowels.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | defecation |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌdɛfɪˈkeɪʃən/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #52,261 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “defecation” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for defecation is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌdɛfɪˈkeɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #52,261 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No misspelling variants are generated for defecation in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: 17th century, borrowed from Late Latin dēfaecātiō. The correct English form is defecation, spelled D-E-F-E-C-A-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1The act or process of voiding feces from the bowels.
- 2Any of several processes for the removal of impurities, or for clarifying various materials.
Etymology
17th century, borrowed from Late Latin dēfaecātiō.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
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
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Using “defecation”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-F-E-C-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌdɛfɪˈkeɪʃən/ (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
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.