elevation

/ˌɛlɪˈveɪʃn̩/

//ˌɛlɪˈveɪʃn̩// noun

"elevation" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“elevation” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,279 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,279
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of raising from a lower place, condition, or quality to a higher; said of material things, persons, the mind, the voice, etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

elevation vs elevator
78% similar
elevation vs elation
78% similar
elevation vs election
78% similar

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

Key facts for elevation
PropertyValue
Headwordelevation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɛlɪˈveɪʃn̩/
Letters9
Frequency rank#8,279
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “elevation” 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). elevation 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 elevation is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɛlɪˈveɪʃn̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,279 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for elevation, with forms such as "eelvation", "eleavtion", and "elevaiton". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "elevator", "elation", "election", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French elevation, from Latin elevatio, equal to elevate + -ion. The correct English form is elevation, spelled E-L-E-V-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of raising from a lower place, condition, or quality to a higher; said of material things, persons, the mind, the voice, etc.
  2. 2
    The condition of being or feeling elevated; heightened; exaltation.
  3. 3
    That which is raised up or elevated; an elevated place or station.
  4. 4
    The distance of a celestial object above the horizon, or the arc of a vertical circle intercepted between it and the horizon; altitude.
  5. 5
    The measured vertical distance from the peak of a mountain or hill to its bordering lowlands.
  6. 6
    The angle which the gnomon makes with the substylar line.
  7. 7
    The movement of the axis of a piece in a vertical plane; also, the angle of elevation, that is, the angle between the axis of the piece and the line of sight; distinguished from direction.
  8. 8
    A geometrical projection of a building, or other object, on a plane perpendicular to the horizon; orthographic projection on a vertical plane; called by the ancients the orthography.
  9. 9
    The raising of the host—representing Christ’s body—in a mass or Holy Communion service.
  10. 10
    An opium mixture used in the Fens to improve the mood and prevent malaria.

Etymology

From Old French elevation, from Latin elevatio, equal to elevate + -ion.

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eelvation,eleavtion,elevaiton,elevasion,elevatino,elevationn,elevatoin,elevattion,elevtaion,elevvation,ellevation,elveation,leevation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eelvation2eleavtion2elevaiton2elevasion1elevatino2elevationn1elevatoin2elevattion1
Edit distance from "elevation"

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 "elevation"?
"elevation" is spelled E-L-E-V-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɛlɪˈveɪʃn̩/.
What does "elevation" mean?
As a noun, "elevation" means: The act of raising from a lower place, condition, or quality to a higher; said of material things, persons, the mind, the voice, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "elevation"?
"elevation" is commonly confused with "elevator", "elation", "election". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "elevation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "elevation" is /ˌɛlɪˈveɪʃn̩/. 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 "elevation"?
From Old French elevation, from Latin elevatio, equal to elevate + -ion. 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 “elevation”

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

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