expectation

/ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/

//ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“expectation” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,221. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,221
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen.

Corpus desk

Index EN-expectation · expectation · English

expectation · rank #7,221 · 17 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,221
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH evident

Nearest frequency peer: evident (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “expectation”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “expectation” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

expectation vs expectations
92% similar

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

Key facts for expectation
PropertyValue
Headwordexpectation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#7,221
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “expectation” sits in English frequency

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).expectationlands 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 “evident” (#7,220), “expedition” (#7,222), “entrepreneur” (#7,219). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around expectation (IPA /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #7,221 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for expectation, with forms such as "epxectation", "exepctation", and "expcetation". 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, "expectations", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French expectation, from Latin exspectātiō, from exspectō (“expect”). By surface analysis, expect + -ation. Displaced native Old English wēn. The correct English form is expectation, spelled E-X-P-E-C-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen.
  2. 2
    That which is expected or looked for.
  3. 3
    That which is expected or looked for.
  4. 4
    The prospect of the future; grounds upon which something excellent is expected to occur; prospect of anything good to come, especially of property or rank.
  5. 5
    The value of any chance (as the prospect of prize or property) which depends upon some contingent event.
  6. 6
    The first moment; the expected value; the long-run average value of a variable over many independent repetitions of an experiment.
  7. 7
    The arithmetic mean.
  8. 8
    The leaving of a disease principally to the efforts of nature to effect a cure.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron;[…]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.
  2. And so it had always pleased M. Stutz to expect great things from the dark young man whom he had first seen in his early twenties ; and his expectations had waxed rather than waned on hearing the faint bruit of the love of Ivor and Virginia—for Virginia, M. Stutz thought, would bring fineness to a point in a man like Ivor Marlay,[…].

Etymology

From Middle French expectation, from Latin exspectātiō, from exspectō (“expect”). By surface analysis, expect + -ation. Displaced native Old English wēn.

This word in other languages

expectación(Español)attente(Français)Erwartung(Deutsch)espera(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • epxectation
  • exepctation
  • expcetation
  • expecattion
  • expecctation
  • expectaiton
  • expectasion
  • expectatino
  • expectationn
  • expectatoin
  • expectattion
  • expecttaion
  • expecttation
  • expetcation
  • exppectation
  • exxpectation
  • xepectation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epxectation2exepctation2expcetation2expecattion2expecctation1expectaiton2expectasion1expectatino2
Edit distance from "expectation"

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 "expectation"?
"expectation" is spelled E-X-P-E-C-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/.
What does "expectation" mean?
As a noun, "expectation" means: The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen.
What words are commonly confused with "expectation"?
"expectation" is commonly confused with "expectations". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "expectation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "expectation" is /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/. 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 "expectation"?
From Middle French expectation, from Latin exspectātiō, from exspectō (“expect”). By surface analysis, expect + -ation. Displaced native Old English wēn. 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 "expectation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

consistency#7,209Westminster#7,190obligations#7,255Shakespeare#7,178

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

inappropriate17 variantsMediterranean17 variantsrecruitment17 variantsspeculation17 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "expectation". Here's where to go from here.

  • This headword has one recorded confusable pair with "expectations". View pair
  • 17 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #7,221 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "E" letter cohort. E–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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