mastication

/mæstɪˈkeɪʃən/

//mæstɪˈkeɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“mastication” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

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

Key facts for mastication
PropertyValue
Headwordmastication
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mæstɪˈkeɪʃən/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mastication” sits in English frequency

mastication falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

mastication is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /mæstɪˈkeɪʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

mastication has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Late Latin masticātiō, equivalent to masticate + -ion. The correct English form is mastication, spelled M-A-S-T-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The process of chewing.
  2. 2
    The process of crushing as though chewed.

Etymology

From Late Latin masticātiō, equivalent to masticate + -ion.

This word in other languages

masticación(Español)mastication(Français)mastigação(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mastication"?
"mastication" is spelled M-A-S-T-I-C-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /mæstɪˈkeɪʃən/.
What does "mastication" mean?
As a noun, "mastication" means: The process of chewing.
How do you pronounce "mastication"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mastication" is /mæstɪˈkeɪʃən/. 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 "mastication"?
From Late Latin masticātiō, equivalent to masticate + -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 “mastication”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-A-S-T-I-C-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /mæstɪˈkeɪʃən/ (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
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