intonation

/ɪntəˈneɪʃən/

//ɪntəˈneɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“intonation” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,362. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,362
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The rise and fall of the voice in speaking.

Corpus desk

Index EN-intonation · intonation · English

intonation · rank #35,362 · 15 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,362
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inversely

Nearest frequency peer: inversely (+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 “intonation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “intonation” 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).

intonation vs invocation
80% similar
intonation vs intention
80% similar
intonation vs innovation
80% similar

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

Key facts for intonation
PropertyValue
Headwordintonation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪntəˈneɪʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#35,362
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “intonation”

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).intonationlands 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 “inversely” (#35,363), “Ishmael” (#35,366), “Islamophobia” (#35,367). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intonation” is #35,362. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around intonation (IPA /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #35,362 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for intonation, with forms such as "inntonation", "inotnation", and "intnoation". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "invocation", "intention", "innovation", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French intonation, from Medieval Latin intonatio, from intonō + -tiō. The correct English form is intonation, spelled I-N-T-O-N-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The rise and fall of the voice in speaking.
  2. 2
    Emotive stress used to increase the power of delivery in speech.
  3. 3
    A sound made by, or resembling that made by, a musical instrument.
  4. 4
    Singing or playing in good tune or otherwise.
  5. 5
    Reciting in a musical prolonged tone; intonating or singing of the opening phrase of a plain-chant, psalm, or canticle by a single voice, as of a priest.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She well knew the power of intonation, and thought that, in the absence of the curled lip, the contemptuous twitch of the nose, and the supercilious toss of the head, her message might be acceptable for Louisa's sake,...
  2. This additional cause of the intonation of thunder, together with the simile with which it is illustrated, is copied from our poet, both by Pliny, Nat. Hist. ii, 431, and Isidorus, Orig. xiii.

Etymology

From French intonation, from Medieval Latin intonatio, from intonō + -tiō.

This word in other languages

entonación(Español)intonation(Français)Satzmelodie(Deutsch)entonação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inntonation
  • inotnation
  • intnoation
  • intoantion
  • intonaiton
  • intonasion
  • intonatino
  • intonationn
  • intonatoin
  • intonattion
  • intonnation
  • intontaion
  • inttonation
  • itnonation
  • nitonation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of intonation - 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.

inntonation1inotnation2intnoation2intoantion2intonaiton2intonasion1intonatino2intonationn1
Edit distance from "intonation"

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 "intonation"?
"intonation" is spelled I-N-T-O-N-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/.
What does "intonation" mean?
As a noun, "intonation" means: The rise and fall of the voice in speaking.
What words are commonly confused with "intonation"?
"intonation" is commonly confused with "invocation", "intention", "innovation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "intonation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intonation" is /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/. 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 "intonation"?
From French intonation, from Medieval Latin intonatio, from intonō + -tiō. 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 "intonation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

infarction#35,355gynecology#35,321mentorship#35,407monogamous#35,412

Similar misspelling depth

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

parametric15 variantsprogenitor15 variantsrepurposed15 variantsshouldered15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list