imagination

/ɪˌmæd͡ʒəˈneɪʃən/

//ɪˌmæd͡ʒəˈneɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“imagination” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,954. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,954
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The image-making power of the mind; the act of mentally creating or reproducing an object not previously perceived; the ability to create such images.

Corpus desk

Index EN-imagination · imagination · English

imagination · rank #4,954 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,954
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH integration

Nearest frequency peer: integration (+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 “imagination”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “imagination” 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).

imagination vs imaginative
82% similar

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

Key facts for imagination
PropertyValue
Headwordimagination
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪˌmæd͡ʒəˈneɪʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#4,954
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “imagination”

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).imaginationlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “integration” (#4,955), “holidays” (#4,952), “integrity” (#4,956). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “imagination” is #4,954. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around imagination (IPA /ɪˌmæd͡ʒəˈneɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,954 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for imagination, with forms such as "iamgination", "imaggination", and "imagiantion". 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, "imaginative", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ymaginacioun, from Old French imaginacion, ymaginacion, from Latin imāginātiō. Equivalent to imagine + -ation. The correct English form is imagination, spelled I-M-A-G-I-N-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The image-making power of the mind; the act of mentally creating or reproducing an object not previously perceived; the ability to create such images.
  2. 2
    Particularly, construction of false images; fantasizing.
  3. 3
    Creativity; resourcefulness.
  4. 4
    A mental image formed by the action of the imagination as a faculty; something imagined.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Imagination is one of the most advanced human faculties.
  2. She removed Stranleigh’s coat with a dexterity that aroused his imagination.

Etymology

From Middle English ymaginacioun, from Old French imaginacion, ymaginacion, from Latin imāginātiō. Equivalent to imagine + -ation.

Synonyms

creativityfancyimaginativenessinventioninventiveness

This word in other languages

imaginación(Español)imagination(Français)Vorstellungskraft(Deutsch)imaginação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iamgination
  • imaggination
  • imagiantion
  • imaginaiton
  • imaginasion
  • imaginatino
  • imaginationn
  • imaginatoin
  • imaginattion
  • imaginnation
  • imagintaion
  • imagniation
  • imaignation
  • imgaination
  • immagination
  • miagination

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of imagination - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

iamgination2imaggination1imagiantion2imaginaiton2imaginasion1imaginatino2imaginationn1imaginatoin2
Edit distance from "imagination"

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 "imagination"?
"imagination" is spelled I-M-A-G-I-N-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˌmæd͡ʒəˈneɪʃən/.
What does "imagination" mean?
As a noun, "imagination" means: The image-making power of the mind; the act of mentally creating or reproducing an object not previously perceived; the ability to create such images.
What words are commonly confused with "imagination"?
"imagination" is commonly confused with "imaginative". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "imagination"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "imagination" is /ɪˌmæd͡ʒəˈneɪʃən/. 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 "imagination"?
From Middle English ymaginacioun, from Old French imaginacion, ymaginacion, from Latin imāginātiō. Equivalent to imagine + -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 "imagination", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

integration#4,955Christopher#4,928Switzerland#4,902collections#5,017

Similar misspelling depth

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

completion16 variantsdifficulties16 variantsphotograph16 variantsdisgusting16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list