incantation

/ɪnkænˈteɪʃən/

//ɪnkænˈteɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“incantation” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #49,419. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#49,419
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act or process of using formulas and/or usually rhyming words, sung or spoken, with occult ceremonies, for the purpose of raising spirits, producing enchantment, or creating other magical results.

Corpus desk

Index EN-incantation · incantation · English

incantation · rank #49,419 · 17 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #49,419
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH infielder

Nearest frequency peer: infielder (+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 “incantation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “incantation” 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).

incantation vs incarnation
82% similar
incantation vs indentation
82% similar

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

Key facts for incantation
PropertyValue
Headwordincantation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnkænˈteɪʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#49,419
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “incantation”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).incantationlands 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 “infielder” (#49,420), “infrastructural” (#49,421), “inhumanity” (#49,422). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “incantation” is #49,419. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around incantation (IPA /ɪnkænˈteɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #49,419 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for incantation, with forms such as "icnantation", "inacntation", and "incanattion". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "incarnation", "indentation", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English incantacioun, from Old French incantation, from Latin incantatio. More at enchant. The correct English form is incantation, spelled I-N-C-A-N-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act or process of using formulas and/or usually rhyming words, sung or spoken, with occult ceremonies, for the purpose of raising spirits, producing enchantment, or creating other magical results.
  2. 2
    A formula of words used as above.
  3. 3
    Any esoteric command or procedure.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. new years eve we dropped mushrooms / and danced around the house / making music with everything that we found / incantation replaced resolution
  2. My ancient Incantations are too weake, / And hell too ſtrong for me to buckle with:

Etymology

From Middle English incantacioun, from Old French incantation, from Latin incantatio. More at enchant.

This word in other languages

incantación(Español)incantation(Français)Beschwörung(Deutsch)feitiço(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • icnantation
  • inacntation
  • incanattion
  • incanntation
  • incantaiton
  • incantasion
  • incantatino
  • incantationn
  • incantatoin
  • incantattion
  • incanttaion
  • incanttation
  • incatnation
  • inccantation
  • incnatation
  • inncantation
  • nicantation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

icnantation2inacntation2incanattion2incanntation1incantaiton2incantasion1incantatino2incantationn1
Edit distance from "incantation"

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 "incantation"?
"incantation" is spelled I-N-C-A-N-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnkænˈteɪʃən/.
What does "incantation" mean?
As a noun, "incantation" means: The act or process of using formulas and/or usually rhyming words, sung or spoken, with occult ceremonies, for the purpose of raising spirits, producing enchantment, or creating other magical results.
What words are commonly confused with "incantation"?
"incantation" is commonly confused with "incarnation", "indentation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "incantation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "incantation" is /ɪnkænˈteɪʃən/. 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 "incantation"?
From Middle English incantacioun, from Old French incantation, from Latin incantatio. More at enchant. 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 "incantation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

inoffensive#49,425inscrutable#49,426furtherance#49,344extenuating#49,324

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

irrepressible17 variantsobfuscation17 variantsdisinterest17 variantsperforation17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list