isolation

/ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/

//ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“isolation” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,926 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,926
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state of being isolated, detached, or separated; the state of being away from other people.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

isolation vs inflation
78% similar
isolation vs isolating
78% similar
isolation vs insulation
80% similar

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

Key facts for isolation
PropertyValue
Headwordisolation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#6,926
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “isolation” 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). isolation 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 isolation is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,926 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for isolation, with forms such as "ioslation", "isloation", and "isoaltion". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "inflation", "isolating", "insulation", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1800. From French isolation, from isolé, placed on an island (thus away from other people). Equivalent to isolate + -ion. The correct English form is isolation, spelled I-S-O-L-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being isolated, detached, or separated; the state of being away from other people.
  2. 2
    The act of isolating.
  3. 3
    The state of not having diplomatic relations with other countries (either with most or all other countries, or with specified other countries).
  4. 4
    The obtaining of an element from one of its compounds, or of a compound from a mixture
  5. 5
    The separation of a patient, suffering from a contagious disease, from contact with others (compare: quarantine)
  6. 6
    A database property that determines when and how changes made in one transaction are visible to other concurrent transactions.
  7. 7
    A Freudian defense mechanism in which a person suppresses a harmful thought from developing into a train of thought.

Etymology

First attested in 1800. From French isolation, from isolé, placed on an island (thus away from other people). Equivalent to isolate + -ion.

This word in other languages

aislamiento(Español)isolement(Français)Isolierung(Deutsch)isolamento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ioslation,isloation,isoaltion,isolaiton,isolasion,isolatino,isolationn,isolatoin,isolattion,isollation,isoltaion,issolation,siolation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ioslation2isloation2isoaltion2isolaiton2isolasion1isolatino2isolationn1isolatoin2
Edit distance from "isolation"

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 "isolation"?
"isolation" is spelled I-S-O-L-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/.
What does "isolation" mean?
As a noun, "isolation" means: The state of being isolated, detached, or separated; the state of being away from other people.
What words are commonly confused with "isolation"?
"isolation" is commonly confused with "inflation", "isolating", "insulation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "isolation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "isolation" is /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/. 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 "isolation"?
First attested in 1800. From French isolation, from isolé, placed on an island (thus away from other people). Equivalent to isolate + -ion. 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 “isolation”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-S-O-L-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “inflation” - see the side-by-side comparison. isolation vs inflation
  • 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