location

/ləʊˈkeɪʃən/

//ləʊˈkeɪʃən// noun

"location" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“location” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,461 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,461
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A particular point or place in physical space.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

location vs lotion
75% similar
location vs locator
75% similar
location vs locations
89% similar

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

Key facts for location
PropertyValue
Headwordlocation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ləʊˈkeɪʃən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#1,461
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “location” 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). location 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 location is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ləʊˈkeɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,461 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 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for location, with forms such as "lcoation", "llocation", and "loaction". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "lotion", "locator", "locations", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin locatio, locationis (“a placing”), from locare (“to place, put, set, let”), from locus (“a place”). Equivalent to locate + -ion. The correct English form is location, spelled L-O-C-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A particular point or place in physical space.
  2. 2
    An act of locating.
  3. 3
    An apartheid-era urban area populated by non-white people; a township.
  4. 4
    A leasing on rent.
  5. 5
    A contract for the use of a thing, or service of a person, for hire.
  6. 6
    The marking out of the boundaries, or identifying the place or site of, a piece of land, according to the description given in an entry, plan, map, etc
  7. 7
    An administrative region in Kenya, below counties and subcounties, and further divided into sublocations.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin locatio, locationis (“a placing”), from locare (“to place, put, set, let”), from locus (“a place”). Equivalent to locate + -ion.

Synonyms

a place

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lcoation,llocation,loaction,locaiton,locasion,locatino,locationn,locatoin,locattion,loccation,loctaion,olcation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lcoation2llocation1loaction2locaiton2locasion1locatino2locationn1locatoin2
Edit distance from "location"

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 "location"?
"location" is spelled L-O-C-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ləʊˈkeɪʃən/.
What does "location" mean?
As a noun, "location" means: A particular point or place in physical space.
What words are commonly confused with "location"?
"location" is commonly confused with "lotion", "locator", "locations". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "location"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "location" is /ləʊˈkeɪʃən/. 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 "location"?
Borrowed from Latin locatio, locationis (“a placing”), from locare (“to place, put, set, let”), from locus (“a place”). Equivalent to locate + -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 “location”

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

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