levitation

/ˌlɛvɪˈteɪʃən/

//ˌlɛvɪˈteɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“levitation” is uncommon English (frequency #51,822 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,822
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The raising of something, such as a body, without apparent physical cause, allegedly using the power of the mind.

Corpus desk

Index EN-levitation · levitation · English

levitation · rank #51,822 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,822
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH levitate

Nearest frequency peer: levitate (-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 “levitation”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for levitation
PropertyValue
Headwordlevitation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌlɛvɪˈteɪʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#51,822
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “levitation” in English

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).levitationfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “levitate” (#51,821), “lethality” (#51,820), “Lilley” (#51,824). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “levitation” is #51,822. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

levitation is uncommon English at frequency #51,822 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌlɛvɪˈteɪʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

levitation doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From levitate + -ion, from Latin levitas (“lightness”), patterned in English on gravitate. The correct English form is levitation, spelled L-E-V-I-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The raising of something, such as a body, without apparent physical cause, allegedly using the power of the mind.
  2. 2
    The suspension of something via technical means without any mechanical support, such as by magnetism.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It was erected by the application of those universal laws and forces of nature which cause iron to float. By the same laws, gravity may be overcome or neutralized, and stone made to float in air. The Pyramid was thus built by levitation, abetted by song and chanting, much in the same manner in which the Druids of England set up their huge stones at a late…
  2. We then had to endure a four-hour-long change of bogies at Brest - from the Soviet 1520mm-wide gauge to the 1435mm Polish and West European - when our carriage, with passengers inside, was lifted off the track by giant railway jacks, giving us a brief and not entirely unpleasant feeling of levitation.

Etymology

From levitate + -ion, from Latin levitas (“lightness”), patterned in English on gravitate.

This word in other languages

Levitation(Deutsch)levitação(Português)

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 "levitation"?
"levitation" is spelled L-E-V-I-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌlɛvɪˈteɪʃən/.
What does "levitation" mean?
As a noun, "levitation" means: The raising of something, such as a body, without apparent physical cause, allegedly using the power of the mind.
How do you pronounce "levitation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "levitation" is /ˌlɛvɪˈteɪʃən/. 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 "levitation"?
From levitate + -ion, from Latin levitas (“lightness”), patterned in English on gravitate. 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 "levitation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

liquidator#51,826Maimonides#51,837mandibular#51,840midsection#51,848

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list