installation

/ˌɪnstəˈleɪʃən/

//ˌɪnstəˈleɪʃən// noun

"installation" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“installation” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,508 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,508
frequency rank, English
12
letters
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An act of installing.

Key facts for installation
PropertyValue
Headwordinstallation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɪnstəˈleɪʃən/
Letters12
Frequency rank#5,508
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “installation” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). installation lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for installation is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɪnstəˈleɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,508 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for installation, with forms such as "innstallation", "insatllation", and "insstallation". 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. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French installation, from Medieval Latin installātiō. By surface analysis, install + -ation. Compare with Piedmontese istallassion. The correct English form is installation, spelled I-N-S-T-A-L-L-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An act of installing.
  2. 2
    Something installed, especially the whole of a system of machines, apparatus, and accessories, when set up and arranged for practical working, as in electric lighting, transmission of power, etc.
  3. 3
    A work of installation art.
  4. 4
    A grouping of facilities that constitute a permanent military base.

Etymology

From Middle French installation, from Medieval Latin installātiō. By surface analysis, install + -ation. Compare with Piedmontese istallassion.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: innstallation,insatllation,insstallation,instalaltion,instalation,installaiton,installasion,installatino,installationn,installatoin,installattion,installtaion,instlalation,insttallation,intsallation,isntallation,nistallation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of installation - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

innstallation1insatllation2insstallation1instalaltion2instalation1installaiton2installasion1installatino2
Edit distance from "installation"

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 "installation"?
"installation" is spelled I-N-S-T-A-L-L-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪnstəˈleɪʃən/.
What does "installation" mean?
As a noun, "installation" means: An act of installing.
What are common misspellings of "installation"?
Common misspellings include "innstallation", "insatllation", "insstallation", "instalaltion", "instalation". The correct spelling is "installation".
How do you pronounce "installation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "installation" is /ˌɪnstəˈleɪʃən/. 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 "installation"?
From Middle French installation, from Medieval Latin installātiō. By surface analysis, install + -ation. Compare with Piedmontese istallassion. 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.

Using “installation”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-S-T-A-L-L-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌɪnstəˈleɪʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list