extinction

/ɪkˈstɪŋkʃən/

//ɪkˈstɪŋkʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“extinction” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,209. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,209
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 action of making or becoming extinct; annihilation.

Corpus desk

Index EN-extinction · extinction · English

extinction · rank #10,209 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #10,209
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH explanations

Nearest frequency peer: explanations (-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 “extinction”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “extinction” 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).

extinction vs extraction
80% similar

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

Key facts for extinction
PropertyValue
Headwordextinction
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪkˈstɪŋkʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#10,209
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “extinction”

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).extinctionlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “explanations” (#10,208), “FB” (#10,211), “elders” (#10,206). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “extinction” is #10,209. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around extinction (IPA /ɪkˈstɪŋkʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,209 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 extinction, with forms such as "etxinction", "exitnction", and "exticntion". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "extraction", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From late Middle English, borrowed from Latin extinctio (“extinction, annihilation”), from extinguere, past participle extinctus (“to extinguish”); see extinguish. The correct English form is extinction, spelled E-X-T-I-N-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The action of making or becoming extinct; annihilation.
  2. 2
    The absorption or scattering of electromagnetic radiation emitted by astronomical objects by intervening dust and gas before it reaches the observer.
  3. 3
    The inability to perceive multiple stimuli simultaneously.
  4. 4
    The fading of a conditioned response over time if it is not reinforced.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Thirteen long centuries have elapsed since the extinction of the last Zoroastrian Empire[…]
  2. Their lives were short; all were condemned by the early 1930s, presumably because, like most classes of G.S.W.R. engines, their small numbers invited extinction under any comprehensive programme of standardisation.

Etymology

From late Middle English, borrowed from Latin extinctio (“extinction, annihilation”), from extinguere, past participle extinctus (“to extinguish”); see extinguish.

This word in other languages

extinción(Español)extinction(Français)Aussterben(Deutsch)extinção(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etxinction
  • exitnction
  • exticntion
  • extincction
  • extinciton
  • extincsion
  • extinctino
  • extinctionn
  • extinctoin
  • extincttion
  • extinnction
  • extintcion
  • extniction
  • exttinction
  • exxtinction
  • xetinction

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etxinction2exitnction2exticntion2extincction1extinciton2extincsion1extinctino2extinctionn1
Edit distance from "extinction"

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 "extinction"?
"extinction" is spelled E-X-T-I-N-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪkˈstɪŋkʃən/.
What does "extinction" mean?
As a noun, "extinction" means: The action of making or becoming extinct; annihilation.
What words are commonly confused with "extinction"?
"extinction" is commonly confused with "extraction". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "extinction"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "extinction" is /ɪkˈstɪŋkʃən/. 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 "extinction"?
From late Middle English, borrowed from Latin extinctio (“extinction, annihilation”), from extinguere, past participle extinctus (“to extinguish”); see extinguish. 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 "extinction", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

discharged#10,197newsletter#10,242nineteenth#10,243phenomenal#10,251

Similar misspelling depth

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

decorations16 variantsprotesting16 variantstheological16 variantssimplicity16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list