flotation

/floʊˈteɪʃən/

//floʊˈteɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“flotation” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,449. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,449
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A state of floating, or being afloat.

Corpus desk

Index EN-flotation · flotation · English

flotation · rank #24,449 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #24,449
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH Fleetwood

Nearest frequency peer: Fleetwood (-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 “flotation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “flotation” 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).

flotation vs flirtation
80% similar

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

Key facts for flotation
PropertyValue
Headwordflotation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/floʊˈteɪʃən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#24,449
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “flotation”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).flotationlands 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 “Fleetwood” (#24,448), “focussed” (#24,450), “firefly” (#24,447). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “flotation” is #24,449. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around flotation (IPA /floʊˈteɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #24,449 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for flotation, with forms such as "fflotation", "fllotation", and "floattion". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "flirtation", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From float + -ation. The correct English form is flotation, spelled F-L-O-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A state of floating, or being afloat.
  2. 2
    The ability (as of a tire or snowshoes) to stay on the surface of soft ground or snow.
  3. 3
    A process of separating minerals by agitating a mixture with water and detergents etc; selected substances being carried to the surface in air bubbles.
  4. 4
    The launching onto the market of a tranche of stocks or shares, usually a new issue.

Etymology

From float + -ation.

This word in other languages

flotación(Español)flottaison(Français)flutuação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fflotation
  • fllotation
  • floattion
  • flotaiton
  • flotasion
  • flotatino
  • flotationn
  • flotatoin
  • flotattion
  • flottaion
  • flottation
  • fltoation
  • foltation
  • lfotation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

fflotation1fllotation1floattion2flotaiton2flotasion1flotatino2flotationn1flotatoin2
Edit distance from "flotation"

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 "flotation"?
"flotation" is spelled F-L-O-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /floʊˈteɪʃən/.
What does "flotation" mean?
As a noun, "flotation" means: A state of floating, or being afloat.
What words are commonly confused with "flotation"?
"flotation" is commonly confused with "flirtation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "flotation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "flotation" is /floʊˈteɪʃən/. 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 "flotation"?
From float + -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 "flotation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Fleetwood#24,448endearing#24,436habitable#24,464Himalayas#24,471

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

debatable14 variantsbetraying14 variantsantisocial14 variantsmodernism14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list