mortification

/ˌmɔːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

//ˌmɔːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən// noun

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

"mortification" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mortification” is uncommon English (frequency #67,661 among 4,057 “M” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#67,661
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of mortifying.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mortification · mortification · English

mortification · rank #67,661 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #67,661
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH morne

Nearest frequency peer: morne (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “mortification”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “mortification” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for mortification
PropertyValue
Headwordmortification
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌmɔːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
Letters13
Frequency rank#67,661
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mortification” 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). mortification lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

mortification is uncommon English at frequency #67,661 among 4,057 “M” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌmɔːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for mortification in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mortificacioun, mortification, from Middle French mortification and its etymon Latin mortificātiō. By surface analysis, mortify + -ication. The correct English form is mortification, spelled M-O-R-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of mortifying.
  2. 2
    A sensation of extreme shame or embarrassment.
  3. 3
    The death of part of the body.
  4. 4
    A bringing under of the passions and appetites by a severe or strict manner of living.
  5. 5
    A bequest to a charitable institution.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Near-synonym: humiliation
  2. Certainly a little mortification appears very becoming in a wife—don't you think it will do her good to let her Pine a little.

Etymology

From Middle English mortificacioun, mortification, from Middle French mortification and its etymon Latin mortificātiō. By surface analysis, mortify + -ication.

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mortification"?
"mortification" is spelled M-O-R-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌmɔːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/.
What does "mortification" mean?
As a noun, "mortification" means: The act of mortifying.
How do you pronounce "mortification"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mortification" is /ˌmɔːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/. 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 "mortification"?
From Middle English mortificacioun, mortification, from Middle French mortification and its etymon Latin mortificātiō. By surface analysis, mortify + -ication. 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 "mortification", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

miscegenation#67,653oceanographer#67,697phenylalanine#67,728interoperable#67,535

What to do next

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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