imitation

/ɪmɪˈteɪʃn̩/

//ɪmɪˈteɪʃn̩// noun

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

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

The verdict

“imitation” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,631. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,631
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of imitating.

Corpus desk

Index EN-imitation · imitation · English

imitation · rank #15,631 · 13 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,631
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH ibn

Nearest frequency peer: ibn (-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 “imitation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “imitation” 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).

imitation vs invitation
80% similar
imitation vs initiation
80% similar
imitation vs irritation
80% similar

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

Key facts for imitation
PropertyValue
Headwordimitation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪmɪˈteɪʃn̩/
Letters9
Frequency rank#15,631
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “imitation”

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).imitationlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “ibn” (#15,630), “immersion” (#15,632), “hush” (#15,629). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “imitation” is #15,631. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around imitation (IPA /ɪmɪˈteɪʃn̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,631 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for imitation, with forms such as "iimtation", "imiattion", and "imitaiton". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "invitation", "initiation", "irritation", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English imitacioun, from Middle French imitacion, from Old French imitacion, from Latin imitatio. The correct English form is imitation, spelled I-M-I-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of imitating.
  2. 2
    A copy or simulation; something that is not the real thing.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. a pale imitation
  2. a realistic imitation

Etymology

From Middle English imitacioun, from Middle French imitacion, from Old French imitacion, from Latin imitatio.

Synonyms

copyingimitationreplication

Antonyms

creationnon-imitation

This word in other languages

imitación(Español)imitation(Français)Imitation(Deutsch)imitação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iimtation
  • imiattion
  • imitaiton
  • imitasion
  • imitatino
  • imitationn
  • imitatoin
  • imitattion
  • imittaion
  • imittation
  • immitation
  • imtiation
  • miitation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iimtation2imiattion2imitaiton2imitasion1imitatino2imitationn1imitatoin2imitattion1
Edit distance from "imitation"

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 "imitation"?
"imitation" is spelled I-M-I-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmɪˈteɪʃn̩/.
What does "imitation" mean?
As a noun, "imitation" means: The act of imitating.
What words are commonly confused with "imitation"?
"imitation" is commonly confused with "invitation", "initiation", "irritation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "imitation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "imitation" is /ɪmɪˈteɪʃn̩/. 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 "imitation"?
From Middle English imitacioun, from Middle French imitacion, from Old French imitacion, from Latin imitatio. 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 "imitation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

immersion#15,632intrinsic#15,637landslide#15,647flashback#15,613

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

denounced13 variantsaggravated13 variantsthatcher13 variantsurgently13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list