lamentation

/ˌlæm.ənˈteɪ.ʃən/

//ˌlæm.ənˈteɪ.ʃən// noun

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

"lamentation" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lamentation” is uncommon English (frequency #60,227 among 16,425 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,227
frequency rank, English
16,425
“L” headwords

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

Key facts for lamentation
PropertyValue
Headwordlamentation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌlæm.ənˈteɪ.ʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#60,227
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lamentation” 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). lamentation lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

lamentation is uncommon English at frequency #60,227 among 16,425 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌlæm.ənˈteɪ.ʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for lamentation in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Recorded since 1375, from Middle English lamentacioun, from Middle French lamentation and its etymon Latin lāmentātiō (“wailing, moaning, weeping”), from the deponent verb lāmentor, from lāmentum (“wail; wailing”), itself from a Proto-Indo-European *leh₂- (… The correct English form is lamentation, spelled L-A-M-E-N-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of lamenting.
  2. 2
    A sorrowful cry; a lament.
  3. 3
    Specifically, mourning.
  4. 4
    lamentatio, (part of) a liturgical Bible text (from the book of Job) and its musical settings, usually in the plural; hence, any dirge
  5. 5
    A group of swans.

Etymology

Recorded since 1375, from Middle English lamentacioun, from Middle French lamentation and its etymon Latin lāmentātiō (“wailing, moaning, weeping”), from the deponent verb lāmentor, from lāmentum (“wail; wailing”), itself from a Proto-Indo-European *leh₂- (“to howl”), presumed ultimately imitative. Replaced Old English cwiþan. By surface analysis, lament + -ation.

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 "lamentation"?
"lamentation" is spelled L-A-M-E-N-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌlæm.ənˈteɪ.ʃən/.
What does "lamentation" mean?
As a noun, "lamentation" means: The act of lamenting.
How do you pronounce "lamentation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lamentation" is /ˌlæm.ənˈteɪ.ʃən/. 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 "lamentation"?
Recorded since 1375, from Middle English lamentacioun, from Middle French lamentation and its etymon Latin lāmentātiō (“wailing, moaning, weeping”), from the deponent verb lāmentor, from lāmentum (“wail; wailing”), itself from a Proto-Indo-Europea... 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 “lamentation”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-A-M-E-N-T-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌlæm.ənˈteɪ.ʃən/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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