electrolysis

/ɪlɛkˈtɹɒləsɪs/

//ɪlɛkˈtɹɒləsɪs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“electrolysis” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #40,677. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,677
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
19
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The chemical change produced by passing an electric current through a conducting solution or a molten salt.

Corpus desk

Index EN-electrolysis · electrolysis · English

electrolysis · rank #40,677 · 19 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #40,677
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH Eldon

Nearest frequency peer: Eldon (-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 “electrolysis”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “electrolysis” 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 electrolysis
PropertyValue
Headwordelectrolysis
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪlɛkˈtɹɒləsɪs/
Letters12
Frequency rank#40,677
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “electrolysis”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).electrolysislands 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 “Eldon” (#40,676), “effeminate” (#40,675), “EDA” (#40,674). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “electrolysis” is #40,677. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around electrolysis (IPA /ɪlɛkˈtɹɒləsɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #40,677 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for electrolysis, with forms such as "eelctrolysis", "elcetrolysis", and "elecctrolysis". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Coined by English polymath William Whewell in 1834 for Michael Faraday. From electro- + -lysis (“a loosening”). Originally of tumors, later (1909) of hair removal. The correct English form is electrolysis, spelled E-L-E-C-T-R-O-L-Y-S-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The chemical change produced by passing an electric current through a conducting solution or a molten salt.
  2. 2
    The destruction of hair roots by means of an electric current.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. But current leakage in a Tube tunnel can cause electrolysis to occur in steel retaining walls, which in turn causes them to rust; it could also damage the foundations of nearby buildings.

Etymology

Coined by English polymath William Whewell in 1834 for Michael Faraday. From electro- + -lysis (“a loosening”). Originally of tumors, later (1909) of hair removal.

This word in other languages

electrólisis(Español)électrolyse(Français)Elektrolyse(Deutsch)eletrólise(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eelctrolysis
  • elcetrolysis
  • elecctrolysis
  • elecrtolysis
  • electorlysis
  • electrloysis
  • electrollysis
  • electrolsyis
  • electrolyiss
  • electrolysiss
  • electrolyssi
  • electrolyssis
  • electrolyysis
  • electroylsis
  • electrrolysis
  • electtrolysis
  • eletcrolysis
  • ellectrolysis
  • leectrolysis

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of electrolysis - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

eelctrolysis2elcetrolysis2elecctrolysis1elecrtolysis2electorlysis2electrloysis2electrollysis1electrolsyis2
Edit distance from "electrolysis"

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 "electrolysis"?
"electrolysis" is spelled E-L-E-C-T-R-O-L-Y-S-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪlɛkˈtɹɒləsɪs/.
What does "electrolysis" mean?
As a noun, "electrolysis" means: The chemical change produced by passing an electric current through a conducting solution or a molten salt.
What are common misspellings of "electrolysis"?
Common misspellings include "eelctrolysis", "elcetrolysis", "elecctrolysis", "elecrtolysis", "electorlysis". The correct spelling is "electrolysis".
How do you pronounce "electrolysis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "electrolysis" is /ɪlɛkˈtɹɒləsɪs/. 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 "electrolysis"?
Coined by English polymath William Whewell in 1834 for Michael Faraday. From electro- + -lysis (“a loosening”). Originally of tumors, later (1909) of hair removal. 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 "electrolysis", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

colonisation#40,622authenticate#40,567northernmost#40,815phonological#40,834

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (19 here; floor ≥5).

endometriosis19 variantshypertrophy19 variantspostoperative19 variantsprofessorship19 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list