elimination

/ɪlɪmɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/

//ɪlɪmɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n// noun

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

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

The verdict

“elimination” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,917 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,917
frequency rank, English
11
letters
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of eliminating, expelling or throwing off.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

elimination vs examination
82% similar

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

Key facts for elimination
PropertyValue
Headwordelimination
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪlɪmɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/
Letters11
Frequency rank#7,917
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “elimination” 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). elimination 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 elimination is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪlɪmɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,917 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for elimination, with forms such as "eilmination", "eliimnation", and "elimiantion". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "examination", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin ēliminātiō, from eliminate + -ion. The correct English form is elimination, spelled E-L-I-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of eliminating, expelling or throwing off.
  2. 2
    The act of excluding a losing contestant from a match, tournament, or other competition.
  3. 3
    The act of voting off or throwing off a contestant in a reality television competition.
  4. 4
    The act of discharging or excreting waste products or foreign substances through the various emunctories.
  5. 5
    The act of causing a quantity to disappear from an equation; especially, in the operation of deducing from several equations containing several unknown quantities a less number of equations containing a less number of unknown quantities.
  6. 6
    The act of obtaining by separation, or as the result of eliminating; deduction.
  7. 7
    The act of recording amounts in a consolidation statement to remove the effects of inter-company transactions.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ēliminātiō, from eliminate + -ion.

This word in other languages

eliminación(Español)élimination(Français)Elimination(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eilmination,eliimnation,elimiantion,eliminaiton,eliminasion,eliminatino,eliminationn,eliminatoin,eliminattion,eliminnation,elimintaion,elimmination,elimniation,ellimination,elmiination,leimination

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eilmination2eliimnation2elimiantion2eliminaiton2eliminasion1eliminatino2eliminationn1eliminatoin2
Edit distance from "elimination"

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 "elimination"?
"elimination" is spelled E-L-I-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪlɪmɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/.
What does "elimination" mean?
As a noun, "elimination" means: The act of eliminating, expelling or throwing off.
What words are commonly confused with "elimination"?
"elimination" is commonly confused with "examination". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "elimination"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "elimination" is /ɪlɪmɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/. 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 "elimination"?
Borrowed from Latin ēliminātiō, from eliminate + -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 “elimination”

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

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