derivation
/ˌdɛ.ɹɪˈveɪ.ʃ(ə)n/
"derivation" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“derivation” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,428 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #27,428
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
- 15
- tracked misspellings
- 4
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A leading or drawing off of water from a stream or source.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | derivation |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌdɛ.ɹɪˈveɪ.ʃ(ə)n/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #27,428 |
| Misspellings tracked | 15 |
| Confusable pairs | 4 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “derivation” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for derivation is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌdɛ.ɹɪˈveɪ.ʃ(ə)n/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,428 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for derivation, with forms such as "dderivation", "deirvation", and "deriavtion". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "deviation", "derivative", "dedication", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English derivacioun, borrowed from Middle French dérivation, from Latin dērīvātiō, dērīvātiōnem. Morphologically derive + -ation. The correct English form is derivation, spelled D-E-R-I-V-A-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1A leading or drawing off of water from a stream or source.
- 2The act of receiving anything from a source; the act of procuring an effect from a cause, means, or condition, as profits from capital, conclusions or opinions from evidence.
- 3The act of tracing origin or descent; an instance thereof (for example, an etymology).
- 4Forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it.
- 5The state or method of being derived; the relation of origin when established or asserted.
- 6That from which a thing is derived.
- 7That which is derived; a derivative; the result of a deduction.
- 8The process of deriving one thing from another, especially in logic; a deduction.
- 9The process of deriving one thing from another, especially in logic; a deduction.
- 10The process of application of the derivative operator to a function, yielding another function called the derived function of the first.
- 11An algebraic generalization of the derivative operator (from its natural setting in the ring of real-valued functions) to a general associative algebra over a field. Formally, (given an algebra A over a field K) a K-linear endomorphism that satisfies Leibnitz's Law.
- 12An algebraic generalization of the derivative operator (from its natural setting in the ring of real-valued functions) to a general associative algebra over a field. Formally, (given an algebra A over a field K) a K-linear endomorphism that satisfies Leibnitz's Law.
- 13A drawing of humors or fluids from one part of the body to another, to relieve or lessen a morbid process.
Etymology
From Middle English derivacioun, borrowed from Middle French dérivation, from Latin dērīvātiō, dērīvātiōnem. Morphologically derive + -ation.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: dderivation,deirvation,deriavtion,derivaiton,derivasion,derivatino,derivationn,derivatoin,derivattion,derivtaion,derivvation,derrivation,derviation,dreivation,edrivation
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of derivation - 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.
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 "derivation"?
What does "derivation" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "derivation"?
How do you pronounce "derivation"?
What is the origin of the word "derivation"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “derivation”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-R-I-V-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌdɛ.ɹɪˈveɪ.ʃ(ə)n/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “deviation” - see the side-by-side comparison. derivation vs deviation
- 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.