intubation

noun

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

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

The verdict

“intubation” is uncommon English (frequency #50,599 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,599
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The introduction of a tube into an organ to keep it open, as into the larynx in cases of croup.

Corpus desk

Index EN-intubation · intubation · English

intubation · rank #50,599 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #50,599
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH intranet

Nearest frequency peer: intranet (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “intubation”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “intubation” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for intubation
PropertyValue
Headwordintubation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters10
Frequency rank#50,599
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “intubation” in English

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).intubationfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “intranet” (#50,598), “inventiveness” (#50,600), “internalize” (#50,596). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intubation” is #50,599. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

intubation is uncommon English at frequency #50,599 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The introduction of a tube into an organ to keep it open, as into the larynx in cases of croup.".

No misspelling variants are generated for intubation in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Probably coined in 1880–1884 by Joseph O'Dwyer, M.D.; in widespread publication in 1887. The correct English form is intubation, spelled I-N-T-U-B-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The introduction of a tube into an organ to keep it open, as into the larynx in cases of croup.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Intubation, it is now claimed, offers these advantages. Since the revival of this procedure by Dr. O'Dwyer a little more than a year ago, it has been tested in many cases
  2. Before proceeding to demonstrate the method of practising intubation of the larynx on this little cadaver, I will pass around for your inspection a few of the principal varieties of tubes devised to overcome obstruction in the larynx in croup and other forms of stenosis. They will serve to show the different stages of development through which this operat…

Etymology

Probably coined in 1880–1884 by Joseph O'Dwyer, M.D.; in widespread publication in 1887.

This word in other languages

intubación(Español)tubage(Français)Intubation(Deutsch)

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 "intubation"?
"intubation" is spelled I-N-T-U-B-A-T-I-O-N.
What does "intubation" mean?
As a noun, "intubation" means: The introduction of a tube into an organ to keep it open, as into the larynx in cases of croup.
What is the origin of the word "intubation"?
Probably coined in 1880–1884 by Joseph O'Dwyer, M.D.; in widespread publication in 1887. 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 "intubation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

impresario#50,588hovercraft#50,578Kamehameha#50,621loveliness#50,647

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list