detonation

/dɛtəˈneɪʃən/

//dɛtəˈneɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“detonation” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,749. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,749
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An explosion or sudden report made by the near-instantaneous decomposition or combustion of unstable substances. Specifically, combustion that spreads supersonically via shock compression.

Corpus desk

Index EN-detonation · detonation · English

detonation · rank #26,749 · 15 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,749
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dermatologist

Nearest frequency peer: dermatologist (-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 “detonation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “detonation” 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).

detonation vs donation
80% similar
detonation vs detonator
80% similar
detonation vs detention
80% similar

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

Key facts for detonation
PropertyValue
Headworddetonation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɛtəˈneɪʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#26,749
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “detonation”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).detonationlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “dermatologist” (#26,748), “deliberation” (#26,747), “deviate” (#26,751). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “detonation” is #26,749. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around detonation (IPA /dɛtəˈneɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #26,749 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for detonation, with forms such as "ddetonation", "deotnation", and "detnoation". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "donation", "detonator", "detention", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French détonation; equivalent to detonate + -ion. The correct English form is detonation, spelled D-E-T-O-N-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An explosion or sudden report made by the near-instantaneous decomposition or combustion of unstable substances. Specifically, combustion that spreads supersonically via shock compression.
  2. 2
    An explosion or sudden report made by the near-instantaneous decomposition or combustion of unstable substances. Specifically, combustion that spreads supersonically via shock compression.
  3. 3
    Engine knocking, a type of improper combustion in gasoline piston engines.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. the detonation of gun cotton
  2. a nuclear detonation

Etymology

From French détonation; equivalent to detonate + -ion.

Antonyms

deflagration

This word in other languages

detonación(Español)détonation(Français)Detonation(Deutsch)detonação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddetonation
  • deotnation
  • detnoation
  • detoantion
  • detonaiton
  • detonasion
  • detonatino
  • detonationn
  • detonatoin
  • detonattion
  • detonnation
  • detontaion
  • dettonation
  • dteonation
  • edtonation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddetonation1deotnation2detnoation2detoantion2detonaiton2detonasion1detonatino2detonationn1
Edit distance from "detonation"

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 "detonation"?
"detonation" is spelled D-E-T-O-N-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɛtəˈneɪʃən/.
What does "detonation" mean?
As a noun, "detonation" means: An explosion or sudden report made by the near-instantaneous decomposition or combustion of unstable substances. Specifically, combustion that spreads supersonically via shock compression.
What words are commonly confused with "detonation"?
"detonation" is commonly confused with "donation", "detonator", "detention". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "detonation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "detonation" is /dɛtəˈneɪʃən/. 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 "detonation"?
From French détonation; equivalent to detonate + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "detonation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

devolution#26,752curricular#26,742distancing#26,758Dorchester#26,762

Similar misspelling depth

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

conductive15 variantsegalitarian15 variantsbroadening15 variantsfoolishness15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list