devastation

/ˌdɛ.vəˈsteɪ.ʃən/

//ˌdɛ.vəˈsteɪ.ʃən// noun

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

"devastation" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“devastation” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,538 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#18,538
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of devastating, or the state of being devastated; a laying waste.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

devastation vs devastating
82% similar
devastation vs devaluation
82% similar

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

Key facts for devastation
PropertyValue
Headworddevastation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌdɛ.vəˈsteɪ.ʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#18,538
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “devastation” 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). devastation 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 devastation is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌdɛ.vəˈsteɪ.ʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,538 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.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for devastation, with forms such as "ddevastation", "deavstation", and "devasattion". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "devastating", "devaluation", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French dévastation. The correct English form is devastation, spelled D-E-V-A-S-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of devastating, or the state of being devastated; a laying waste.
  2. 2
    Waste or misapplication of the assets of a deceased person by an executor or administrator; devastavit.

Etymology

From Middle French dévastation.

Synonyms

havoc

This word in other languages

devastación(Español)dévastation(Français)Verwüstung(Deutsch)devastação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddevastation,deavstation,devasattion,devasstation,devastaiton,devastasion,devastatino,devastationn,devastatoin,devastattion,devasttaion,devasttation,devatsation,devsatation,devvastation,dveastation,edvastation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddevastation1deavstation2devasattion2devasstation1devastaiton2devastasion1devastatino2devastationn1
Edit distance from "devastation"

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 "devastation"?
"devastation" is spelled D-E-V-A-S-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌdɛ.vəˈsteɪ.ʃən/.
What does "devastation" mean?
As a noun, "devastation" means: The act of devastating, or the state of being devastated; a laying waste.
What words are commonly confused with "devastation"?
"devastation" is commonly confused with "devastating", "devaluation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "devastation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "devastation" is /ˌdɛ.vəˈsteɪ.ʃən/. 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 "devastation"?
From Middle French dévastation. 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 “devastation”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-V-A-S-T-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌdɛ.vəˈsteɪ.ʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “devastating” - see the side-by-side comparison. devastation vs devastating
  • 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