limitation

/lɪmɪˈteɪʃən/

//lɪmɪˈteɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“limitation” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,060. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,060
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of limiting or the state of being limited.

Corpus desk

Index EN-limitation · limitation · English

limitation · rank #11,060 · 15 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,060
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Klein

Nearest frequency peer: Klein (-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 “limitation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “limitation” 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).

limitation vs litigation
80% similar
limitation vs limitations
91% similar

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

Key facts for limitation
PropertyValue
Headwordlimitation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/lɪmɪˈteɪʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#11,060
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “limitation”

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).limitationlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Klein” (#11,059), “linguistic” (#11,061), “jong” (#11,058). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “limitation” is #11,060. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around limitation (IPA /lɪmɪˈteɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,060 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for limitation, with forms such as "ilmitation", "liimtation", and "limiattion". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "litigation", "limitations", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin limitatio. Morphologically limit + -ation. The correct English form is limitation, spelled L-I-M-I-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of limiting or the state of being limited.
  2. 2
    A restriction; a boundary, real or metaphorical, caused by some thing or some circumstance.
  3. 3
    An imperfection or shortcoming that limits something's use or value.
  4. 4
    A time period after which some legal action may no longer be brought.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Getting into his wheelchair after his amputation, it felt like a limitation you could roll in.
  2. He understood the exam material, but his fear was a limitation he could not overcome.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin limitatio. Morphologically limit + -ation.

Synonyms

prescription

Antonyms

limitlessness

This word in other languages

limitación(Español)limitation(Français)Limitieren(Deutsch)limitação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ilmitation
  • liimtation
  • limiattion
  • limitaiton
  • limitasion
  • limitatino
  • limitationn
  • limitatoin
  • limitattion
  • limittaion
  • limittation
  • limmitation
  • limtiation
  • llimitation
  • lmiitation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of limitation - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ilmitation2liimtation2limiattion2limitaiton2limitasion1limitatino2limitationn1limitatoin2
Edit distance from "limitation"

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 "limitation"?
"limitation" is spelled L-I-M-I-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /lɪmɪˈteɪʃən/.
What does "limitation" mean?
As a noun, "limitation" means: The act of limiting or the state of being limited.
What words are commonly confused with "limitation"?
"limitation" is commonly confused with "litigation", "limitations". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "limitation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "limitation" is /lɪmɪˈteɪʃən/. 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 "limitation"?
Borrowed from Latin limitatio. Morphologically limit + -ation. 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 "limitation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

linguistic#11,061magistrate#11,068indirectly#11,047illustrate#11,044

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

impressions15 variantspedestrian15 variantsemphasized15 variantsrebuilding15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list