mutation

/mjuˈteɪʃən/

//mjuˈteɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“mutation” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,281 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,281
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any alteration or change.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mutation vs mutton
75% similar
mutation vs mutilation
80% similar

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

Key facts for mutation
PropertyValue
Headwordmutation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mjuˈteɪʃən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#12,281
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mutation” 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). mutation 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 mutation is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /mjuˈteɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,281 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 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 mutation, with forms such as "mmutation", "mtuation", and "muattion". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "mutton", "mutilation", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Late 14th century as Middle English mutacioun, from Latin mūtātiō, both directly and via Old French mutacion. The correct English form is mutation, spelled M-U-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any alteration or change.
  2. 2
    Any heritable change of the base-pair sequence of genetic material.
  3. 3
    A mutant.
  4. 4
    An alteration in a particular sound of a word, especially the initial consonant, which is triggered by the word's morphological or syntactic context and not by its phonological context.
  5. 5
    The transfer of title of an asset in a register.
  6. 6
    A group of thrushes.

Etymology

Late 14th century as Middle English mutacioun, from Latin mūtātiō, both directly and via Old French mutacion.

This word in other languages

mutación(Español)mutation(Français)Mutation(Deutsch)mutação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mmutation,mtuation,muattion,mutaiton,mutasion,mutatino,mutationn,mutatoin,mutattion,muttaion,muttation,umtation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mutation - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

mmutation1mtuation2muattion2mutaiton2mutasion1mutatino2mutationn1mutatoin2
Edit distance from "mutation"

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 "mutation"?
"mutation" is spelled M-U-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /mjuˈteɪʃən/.
What does "mutation" mean?
As a noun, "mutation" means: Any alteration or change.
What words are commonly confused with "mutation"?
"mutation" is commonly confused with "mutton", "mutilation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mutation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mutation" is /mjuˈteɪʃən/. 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 "mutation"?
Late 14th century as Middle English mutacioun, from Latin mūtātiō, both directly and via Old French mutacion. 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 “mutation”

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

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