excavation

/ˌɛkskəˈveɪʃn/

//ˌɛkskəˈveɪʃn// noun

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

"excavation" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“excavation” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,813 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#15,813
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

excavation vs excavator
80% similar
excavation vs excitation
80% similar
excavation vs exclamation
82% similar

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

Key facts for excavation
PropertyValue
Headwordexcavation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɛkskəˈveɪʃn/
Letters10
Frequency rank#15,813
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “excavation” 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). excavation 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 excavation is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɛkskəˈveɪʃn/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,813 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for excavation, with forms such as "ecxavation", "exacvation", and "excaavtion". 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. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "excavator", "excitation", "exclamation", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin excavātiō (“a hollowing out”), from excavō (“I hollow out”), from ex + cavō (“I hollow out”), from cavus (“hollow”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- (“vault, hole”). The correct English form is excavation, spelled E-X-C-A-V-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass.
  2. 2
    The act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass.
  3. 3
    A cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping.
  4. 4
    An uncovered cutting in the earth, in distinction from a covered cutting or tunnel.
  5. 5
    The material dug out in making a channel or cavity.
  6. 6
    Archaeological research that unearths buildings, tombs and objects of historical value.
  7. 7
    A site where an archaeological exploration is being carried out.
  8. 8
    Something uncovered by archaeological excavation.
  9. 9
    The act of discovering and exposing or developing (a quality).

Etymology

From Latin excavātiō (“a hollowing out”), from excavō (“I hollow out”), from ex + cavō (“I hollow out”), from cavus (“hollow”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- (“vault, hole”).

This word in other languages

excavación(Español)fouille(Français)Grabung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ecxavation,exacvation,excaavtion,excavaiton,excavasion,excavatino,excavationn,excavatoin,excavattion,excavtaion,excavvation,exccavation,excvaation,exxcavation,xecavation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ecxavation2exacvation2excaavtion2excavaiton2excavasion1excavatino2excavationn1excavatoin2
Edit distance from "excavation"

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 "excavation"?
"excavation" is spelled E-X-C-A-V-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɛkskəˈveɪʃn/.
What does "excavation" mean?
As a noun, "excavation" means: The act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass.
What words are commonly confused with "excavation"?
"excavation" is commonly confused with "excavator", "excitation", "exclamation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "excavation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "excavation" is /ˌɛkskəˈveɪʃn/. 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 "excavation"?
From Latin excavātiō (“a hollowing out”), from excavō (“I hollow out”), from ex + cavō (“I hollow out”), from cavus (“hollow”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- (“vault, hole”). 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 “excavation”

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

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