generation

/ˌd͡ʒɛnəˈɹeɪʃən/

//ˌd͡ʒɛnəˈɹeɪʃən// noun

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

The verdict

“generation” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,601. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,601
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of creating something or bringing something into being; production, creation.

Corpus desk

Index EN-generation · generation · English

generation · rank #1,601 · 15 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,601
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH fund

Nearest frequency peer: fund (-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 “generation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “generation” 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).

generation vs generator
80% similar
generation vs generative
80% similar
generation vs generations
91% similar

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

Key facts for generation
PropertyValue
Headwordgeneration
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌd͡ʒɛnəˈɹeɪʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#1,601
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “generation” sits in English frequency

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).generation lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around generation (IPA /ˌd͡ʒɛnəˈɹeɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #1,601 among 2,313 “G” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for generation, with forms such as "egneration", "geenration", and "geneartion". 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, "generator", "generative", "generations", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English generacioun, from Anglo-Norman generacioun, Middle French generacion, and their source, Latin generātiō, from generāre (“to beget, generate”). By surface analysis, generate + -ion. The correct English form is generation, spelled G-E-N-E-R-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of creating something or bringing something into being; production, creation.
  2. 2
    The act of creating a living creature or organism; procreation.
  3. 3
    Race, family; breed.
  4. 4
    A single step or stage in the succession of natural descent; a rank or degree in genealogy, the members of a family from the same parents, considered as a single unit.
  5. 5
    Descendants, progeny; offspring.
  6. 6
    The average amount of time needed for children to grow up and have children of their own, generally considered to be a period of around thirty years, used as a measure of time.
  7. 7
    A set stage in the development of computing or of a specific technology.
  8. 8
    The formation or production of any geometrical magnitude, as a line, a surface, a solid, by the motion, in accordance with a mathematical law, of a point or a magnitude, by the motion of a point, of a surface by a line, a sphere by a semicircle, etc.
  9. 9
    A group of people born in a specific range of years and whose members can relate culturally to one another.
  10. 10
    A version of a form of pop culture which differs from later or earlier versions.
  11. 11
    A copy of a recording made from an earlier copy.
  12. 12
    A single iteration of a cellular automaton rule on a pattern.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The generation of peat, when not completely under water, is confined to moist situations […]
  2. So all things else, that nourish vitall blood, / Soone as with fury thou doest them inspire, / In generation seek to quench their inward fire.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English generacioun, from Anglo-Norman generacioun, Middle French generacion, and their source, Latin generātiō, from generāre (“to beget, generate”). By surface analysis, generate + -ion.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • egneration
  • geenration
  • geneartion
  • generaiton
  • generasion
  • generatino
  • generationn
  • generatoin
  • generattion
  • generration
  • genertaion
  • genneration
  • genreation
  • ggeneration
  • gneeration

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

egneration2geenration2geneartion2generaiton2generasion1generatino2generationn1generatoin2
Edit distance from "generation"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "generation"?
"generation" is spelled G-E-N-E-R-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌd͡ʒɛnəˈɹeɪʃən/.
What does "generation" mean?
As a noun, "generation" means: The act of creating something or bringing something into being; production, creation.
What words are commonly confused with "generation"?
"generation" is commonly confused with "generator", "generative", "generations". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "generation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "generation" is /ˌd͡ʒɛnəˈɹeɪʃən/. 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 "generation"?
Inherited from Middle English generacioun, from Anglo-Norman generacioun, Middle French generacion, and their source, Latin generātiō, from generāre (“to beget, generate”). By surface analysis, generate + -ion. 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 "generation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

What to do next

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

  • "generation" maps to 4 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "generator". View pair
  • 15 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #1,601 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "G" letter cohort. G–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