evolution

/ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/

//ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n// noun

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

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

The verdict

“evolution” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,560. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,560
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A change of position.

Corpus desk

Index EN-evolution · evolution · English

evolution · rank #3,560 · 13 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,560
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH engineers

Nearest frequency peer: engineers (-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 “evolution”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “evolution” 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).

evolution vs evolutions
90% similar
evolution vs evocation
78% similar
evolution vs evaluation
80% similar

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

Key facts for evolution
PropertyValue
Headwordevolution
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/
Letters9
Frequency rank#3,560
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “evolution”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).evolutionlands 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 “engineers” (#3,559), “foods” (#3,561), “Dutch” (#3,558). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “evolution” is #3,560. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around evolution (IPA /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #3,560 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for evolution, with forms such as "eovlution", "evloution", and "evollution". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "evolutions", "evocation", "evaluation", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin ēvolūtiō, ēvolūtiōnis (“the act of unrolling, unfolding or opening (of a book)”), from ēvolūtus, perfect passive participle of ēvolvō (“unroll, unfold”), from ex + volvō (“roll”). Compare typologically Czech vývoj, Serbo-Croatian развој,… The correct English form is evolution, spelled E-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A change of position.
  2. 2
    A change of position.
  3. 3
    A change of position.
  4. 4
    An unfolding.
  5. 5
    An unfolding.
  6. 6
    An unfolding.
  7. 7
    An unfolding.
  8. 8
    Process of development.
  9. 9
    Process of development.
  10. 10
    Process of development.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Mean while, he never failed to be present, when any regiment, or corps of men, were drawn out to be exercised and reviewed, and accompanied them in all their evolutions […].
  2. Major Holroyd, who acted as the General, was extremely polite, and attentive, and came to us between every evolution, to explain and talk over the manoeuvres.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ēvolūtiō, ēvolūtiōnis (“the act of unrolling, unfolding or opening (of a book)”), from ēvolūtus, perfect passive participle of ēvolvō (“unroll, unfold”), from ex + volvō (“roll”). Compare typologically Czech vývoj, Serbo-Croatian развој, Russian разви́ть (razvítʹ), развива́ть (razvivátʹ), разви́ться (razvítʹsja), развива́ться (razvivátʹsja), Russian разви́тие (razvítije), related to Proto-Slavic *viti (whence Czech vít, Russian вить (vitʹ)).

Antonyms

stagnationrevolutionextinction

This word in other languages

evolución(Español)évolution(Français)Evolution(Deutsch)evolução(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eovlution
  • evloution
  • evollution
  • evoltuion
  • evoluiton
  • evolusion
  • evolutino
  • evolutionn
  • evolutoin
  • evoluttion
  • evoultion
  • evvolution
  • veolution

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eovlution2evloution2evollution1evoltuion2evoluiton2evolusion1evolutino2evolutionn1
Edit distance from "evolution"

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 "evolution"?
"evolution" is spelled E-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/.
What does "evolution" mean?
As a noun, "evolution" means: A change of position.
What words are commonly confused with "evolution"?
"evolution" is commonly confused with "evolutions", "evocation", "evaluation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "evolution"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "evolution" is /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(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 "evolution"?
Borrowed from Latin ēvolūtiō, ēvolūtiōnis (“the act of unrolling, unfolding or opening (of a book)”), from ēvolūtus, perfect passive participle of ēvolvō (“unroll, unfold”), from ex + volvō (“roll”). Compare typologically Czech vývoj, Serbo-Croati... 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 "evolution", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

engineers#3,559promotion#3,578telephone#3,587abandoned#3,594

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

controls13 variantspresents13 variantsstudying13 variantslanguages13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list