masturbation
/ˌmæstəˈbeɪʃ(ə)n/
"masturbation" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“masturbation” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,863 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #15,863
- frequency rank, English
- 12
- letters
- 19
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Sexual stimulation of one's genitalia or other erotic regions, often to the point of orgasm.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | masturbation |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌmæstəˈbeɪʃ(ə)n/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Frequency rank | #15,863 |
| Misspellings tracked | 19 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “masturbation” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for masturbation is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌmæstəˈbeɪʃ(ə)n/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,863 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for masturbation, with forms such as "amsturbation", "massturbation", and "mastrubation". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "maturation", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French masturbation, New Latin masturbātiō, masturbātiōnem. By surface analysis, masturbat(e) + -ion. The correct English form is masturbation, spelled M-A-S-T-U-R-B-A-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1Sexual stimulation of one's genitalia or other erotic regions, often to the point of orgasm.
- 2The stimulation of another person's genitals using the hands.
- 3A vain activity that serves only to provide self-indulgent satisfaction without any practical or external value.
Etymology
Borrowed from French masturbation, New Latin masturbātiō, masturbātiōnem. By surface analysis, masturbat(e) + -ion.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: amsturbation,massturbation,mastrubation,mastturbation,mastubration,masturabtion,masturbaiton,masturbasion,masturbatino,masturbationn,masturbatoin,masturbattion,masturbbation,masturbtaion,masturrbation,masutrbation,matsurbation,mmasturbation,msaturbation
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of masturbation - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "masturbation"?
What does "masturbation" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "masturbation"?
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What is the origin of the word "masturbation"?
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Using “masturbation”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is M-A-S-T-U-R-B-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌmæstəˈbeɪʃ(ə)n/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “maturation” - see the side-by-side comparison. masturbation vs maturation
- 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.