devolution

/diːvəˈluːʃən/

//diːvəˈluːʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“devolution” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,752. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,752
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A rolling down.

Corpus desk

Index EN-devolution · devolution · English

devolution · rank #26,752 · 15 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,752
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH deviate

Nearest frequency peer: deviate (-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 “devolution”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “devolution” 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).

devolution vs devotion
80% similar
devolution vs demolition
80% similar
devolution vs desolation
80% similar

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

Key facts for devolution
PropertyValue
Headworddevolution
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/diːvəˈluːʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#26,752
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “devolution”

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).devolutionlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “deviate” (#26,751), “dey” (#26,753), “dialing” (#26,754). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “devolution” is #26,752. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around devolution (IPA /diːvəˈluːʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #26,752 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for devolution, with forms such as "ddevolution", "deovlution", and "devloution". 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, "devotion", "demolition", "desolation", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French dévolution, from Medieval Latin devolutio, devolutionis, from Latin devolvo. The correct English form is devolution, spelled D-E-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A rolling down.
  2. 2
    A descent, especially one that passes through a series of revolutions, or by succession.
  3. 3
    The transference of a right to a successor, or of a power from one body to another.
  4. 4
    Degeneration.
  5. 5
    The transfer of some powers and the delegation of some functions from a central government to local government (e.g. from the U.K. parliament to Scottish parliament and Welsh assembly).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It is quite disheartening to witness the devolution of our nation's political discourse over the past several years.
  2. He is the place where the devolution from Heaven and the evolution from earth meet.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French dévolution, from Medieval Latin devolutio, devolutionis, from Latin devolvo.

Synonyms

devolvement

This word in other languages

involución(Español)dévolution(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddevolution
  • deovlution
  • devloution
  • devollution
  • devoltuion
  • devoluiton
  • devolusion
  • devolutino
  • devolutionn
  • devolutoin
  • devoluttion
  • devoultion
  • devvolution
  • dveolution
  • edvolution

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of devolution - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ddevolution1deovlution2devloution2devollution1devoltuion2devoluiton2devolusion1devolutino2
Edit distance from "devolution"

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 "devolution"?
"devolution" is spelled D-E-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /diːvəˈluːʃən/.
What does "devolution" mean?
As a noun, "devolution" means: A rolling down.
What words are commonly confused with "devolution"?
"devolution" is commonly confused with "devotion", "demolition", "desolation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "devolution"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "devolution" is /diːvəˈluːʃən/. 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 "devolution"?
Borrowed from Middle French dévolution, from Medieval Latin devolutio, devolutionis, from Latin devolvo. 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 "devolution", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

detonation#26,749distancing#26,758curricular#26,742Dorchester#26,762

Similar misspelling depth

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

egalitarian15 variantsconductive15 variantsfoolishness15 variantsbroadening15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list