detonation
/dɛtəˈneɪʃən/noun
detonation is spelled D-E-T-O-N-A-T-I-O-N: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 26,776th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, detonation means “An explosion or sudden report made by the near-instantaneous decomposition or combustion of unstable substances. Specifically, combustion that…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of detonation is detonations.
How many letters and syllables are in detonation?
| Letters | 10: D-E-T-O-N-A-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words; the 26,776th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is detonation?
Detonation appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 26,776th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce detonation?
- UK /dɛtəˈneɪʃən/
Detonation has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-detonation.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with detonation?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as detonation from its last stressed vowel (/eɪʃən/, British pronunciation):
- translation
- aviation
- determination
- delegation
- authorization
- degradation
- deportation
- inauguration
- deprivation
- depreciation
- visualization
- denomination
Spelled with the same letters in another order: denotation.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of detonation
- detonations plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does detonation mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 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.
the detonation of gun cotton
- 2
Any sudden explosion made by an exothermic process (whether chemical or not) that produces a supersonic shock wave.
a nuclear detonation
- 3
Engine knocking, a type of improper combustion in gasoline piston engines.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Detonation in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense an explosion:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | détonation |
| German | Detonation |
| Portuguese | detonação |
| Spanish | detonación |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does detonation come from?
From French détonation; equivalent to detonate + -ion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).