examination

/ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃən/

//ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“examination” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,599. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,599
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of examining.

Corpus desk

Index EN-examination · examination · English

examination · rank #4,599 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,599
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH exam

Nearest frequency peer: exam (-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 “examination”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “examination” 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).

examination vs elimination
82% similar

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

Key facts for examination
PropertyValue
Headwordexamination
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#4,599
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “examination”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “exam” (#4,598), “fails” (#4,600), “equality” (#4,597). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “examination” is #4,599. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around examination (IPA /ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,599 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for examination, with forms such as "eaxmination", "exaimnation", and "examiantion". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "elimination", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English examinacioun, from Old French examinacion, from Latin exāminātiō. Morphologically examine + -ation. The correct English form is examination, spelled E-X-A-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of examining.
  2. 2
    Particularly, an inspection by a medical professional to establish the extent and nature of any sickness or injury.
  3. 3
    A formal test involving answering written or oral questions under a time constraint and usually without access to textbooks; typically, a large, written test administered to high school and college students covering course material studied in a semester.
  4. 4
    Interrogation, particularly by a lawyer in court or during discovery.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In a child with infant dyschezia, physical examination and stool examination are normal.
  2. [The researchers] noticed many of their pieces of [plastic marine] debris sported surface pits around two microns across. Such pits are about the size of a bacterial cell. Closer examination showed that some of these pits did, indeed, contain bacteria, […].

Etymology

From Middle English examinacioun, from Old French examinacion, from Latin exāminātiō. Morphologically examine + -ation.

This word in other languages

examen(Español)examen(Français)Prüfung(Deutsch)exame(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eaxmination
  • exaimnation
  • examiantion
  • examinaiton
  • examinasion
  • examinatino
  • examinationn
  • examinatoin
  • examinattion
  • examinnation
  • examintaion
  • exammination
  • examniation
  • exmaination
  • exxamination
  • xeamination

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eaxmination2exaimnation2examiantion2examinaiton2examinasion1examinatino2examinationn1examinatoin2
Edit distance from "examination"

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 "examination"?
"examination" is spelled E-X-A-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃən/.
What does "examination" mean?
As a noun, "examination" means: The act of examining.
What words are commonly confused with "examination"?
"examination" is commonly confused with "elimination". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "examination"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "examination" is /ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃən/. 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 "examination"?
From Middle English examinacioun, from Old French examinacion, from Latin exāminātiō. Morphologically examine + -ation. 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 "examination", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

disappeared#4,594controversy#4,591requirement#4,628acquisition#4,569

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

instrument16 variantsconspiracy16 variantsmaintaining16 variantschallenging16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list