distillation

/dɪstɪˈleɪʃən/

//dɪstɪˈleɪʃən// noun

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

"distillation" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“distillation” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,520. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,520
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of falling in drops, or the act of pouring out in drops.

Corpus desk

Index EN-distillation · distillation · English

distillation · rank #28,520 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,520
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dissuade

Nearest frequency peer: dissuade (-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 “distillation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “distillation” 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
Key facts for distillation
PropertyValue
Headworddistillation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪstɪˈleɪʃən/
Letters12
Frequency rank#28,520
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “distillation”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).distillationlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “dissuade” (#28,519), “drab” (#28,521), “dissimilar” (#28,518). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “distillation” is #28,520. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around distillation (IPA /dɪstɪˈleɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,520 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for distillation, with forms such as "ddistillation", "disitllation", and "disstillation". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English distillacioun, from Anglo-Norman distillacioun, from Latin distīllātiōnem, accusative of distīllātiō. The correct English form is distillation, spelled D-I-S-T-I-L-L-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of falling in drops, or the act of pouring out in drops.
  2. 2
    That which falls in drops.
  3. 3
    The separation of more volatile parts of a substance from less volatile ones by evaporation and condensation.
  4. 4
    The separation of more volatile parts of a substance from less volatile ones by evaporation and condensation.
  5. 5
    The substance extracted by distilling.
  6. 6
    The transformation of a complex large language model into a smaller one.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. to be stopped in, like a strong distillation, with stinking / clothes that fretted in their own grease.
  2. Then, were not summer's distillation left, A liquid prisoner pent in walls of glass […]

Etymology

From Middle English distillacioun, from Anglo-Norman distillacioun, from Latin distīllātiōnem, accusative of distīllātiō.

This word in other languages

destilación(Español)distillation(Français)Destillation(Deutsch)destilação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddistillation
  • disitllation
  • disstillation
  • distilaltion
  • distilation
  • distillaiton
  • distillasion
  • distillatino
  • distillationn
  • distillatoin
  • distillattion
  • distilltaion
  • distlilation
  • disttillation
  • ditsillation
  • dsitillation
  • idstillation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddistillation1disitllation2disstillation1distilaltion2distilation1distillaiton2distillasion1distillatino2
Edit distance from "distillation"

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 "distillation"?
"distillation" is spelled D-I-S-T-I-L-L-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪstɪˈleɪʃən/.
What does "distillation" mean?
As a noun, "distillation" means: The act of falling in drops, or the act of pouring out in drops.
What are common misspellings of "distillation"?
Common misspellings include "ddistillation", "disitllation", "disstillation", "distilaltion", "distilation". The correct spelling is "distillation".
How do you pronounce "distillation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "distillation" is /dɪstɪˈleɪʃən/. 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 "distillation"?
From Middle English distillacioun, from Anglo-Norman distillacioun, from Latin distīllātiōnem, accusative of distīllātiō. 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 "distillation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

degenerative#28,509immunization#28,588implantation#28,589inexplicably#28,594

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

hibernation17 variantsintermission17 variantsrestructure17 variantsstakeholder17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list