murmuration
/ˌmɝməˈɹeɪʃən/
"murmuration" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“murmuration” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 11
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An act or instance of murmuring.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | murmuration |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌmɝməˈɹeɪʃən/ |
| Letters | 11 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “murmuration” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for murmuration is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌmɝməˈɹeɪʃən/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Zero misspellings are on record for murmuration in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: 1350–1400; Medieval Latin murmuratio (“murmuring, grumbling”). The “flock of starlings” sense is probably derived from the sound of the very large groups that starlings form at dusk. The correct English form is murmuration, spelled M-U-R-M-U-R-A-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1An act or instance of murmuring.
- 2A flock of starlings, in particular when swarming in swirling patterns.
- 3An emergent order in a multi-agent social system.
Etymology
1350–1400; Medieval Latin murmuratio (“murmuring, grumbling”). The “flock of starlings” sense is probably derived from the sound of the very large groups that starlings form at dusk.
This word in other languages
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
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Using “murmuration”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is M-U-R-M-U-R-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌmɝməˈɹeɪʃən/ (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.