invention

/ɪnˈvɛnʃən/

//ɪnˈvɛnʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“invention” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,699. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,699
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Something invented.

Corpus desk

Index EN-invention · invention · English

invention · rank #6,699 · 14 variants · 11 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,699
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 11 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH intermediate

Nearest frequency peer: intermediate (-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 “invention”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “invention” 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).

invention vs inventor
78% similar
invention vs inventive
78% similar
invention vs inversion
78% similar

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

Key facts for invention
PropertyValue
Headwordinvention
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnˈvɛnʃən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#6,699
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “invention”

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).inventionlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “intermediate” (#6,698), “IP” (#6,700), “inspiring” (#6,697). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “invention” is #6,699. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around invention (IPA /ɪnˈvɛnʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,699 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for invention, with forms such as "inevntion", "innvention", and "inveniton". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "inventor", "inventive", "inversion", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English invencion, invencioun, from Latin inventiō either directly or via Middle French invencion, from Latin invenīre (“to discover, find, invent”), from in- (“in-: in, into”) + venīre (“to come”). Doublet of inventio. By surface analysis, inve… The correct English form is invention, spelled I-N-V-E-N-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Something invented.
  2. 2
    The act of inventing.
  3. 3
    The capacity to invent.
  4. 4
    A small, self-contained composition, particularly those in J.S. Bach’s Two- and Three-part Inventions.
  5. 5
    The act of discovering or finding; the act of finding out; discovery.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. My new invention will let you alphabetize your matchbook collection in half the usual time.
  2. I’m afraid there was no burglar. It was all the housekeeper’s invention.

Etymology

From Middle English invencion, invencioun, from Latin inventiō either directly or via Middle French invencion, from Latin invenīre (“to discover, find, invent”), from in- (“in-: in, into”) + venīre (“to come”). Doublet of inventio. By surface analysis, invent + -ion. Displaced native Old English orþanc.

Synonyms

discovery

This word in other languages

invención(Español)invention(Français)Erfindung(Deutsch)invenção(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inevntion
  • innvention
  • inveniton
  • invenntion
  • invension
  • inventino
  • inventionn
  • inventoin
  • inventtion
  • invetnion
  • invnetion
  • invvention
  • ivnention
  • nivention

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of invention - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

inevntion2innvention1inveniton2invenntion1invension1inventino2inventionn1inventoin2
Edit distance from "invention"

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 "invention"?
"invention" is spelled I-N-V-E-N-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈvɛnʃən/.
What does "invention" mean?
As a noun, "invention" means: Something invented.
What words are commonly confused with "invention"?
"invention" is commonly confused with "inventor", "inventive", "inversion". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "invention"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "invention" is /ɪnˈvɛnʃən/. 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 "invention"?
From Middle English invencion, invencioun, from Latin inventiō either directly or via Middle French invencion, from Latin invenīre (“to discover, find, invent”), from in- (“in-: in, into”) + venīre (“to come”). Doublet of inventio. By surface anal... 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 "invention", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

inspiring#6,697immigrant#6,695ignorance#6,693extending#6,685

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

emotionally14 variantsplacement14 variantsworkplace14 variantsYorkshire14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list