obligation

/ˌɒb.lɪˈɡeɪ.ʃn̩/

//ˌɒb.lɪˈɡeɪ.ʃn̩// noun

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

"obligation" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“obligation” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,390 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,390
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie to someone.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

obligation vs obligations
91% similar

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

Key facts for obligation
PropertyValue
Headwordobligation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɒb.lɪˈɡeɪ.ʃn̩/
Letters10
Frequency rank#6,390
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “obligation” 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). obligation 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 obligation is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɒb.lɪˈɡeɪ.ʃn̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,390 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for obligation, with forms such as "boligation", "obbligation", and "obilgation". 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, "obligations", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English obligacioun, from Old French obligacion, from Latin obligatio, obligationem, from obligatum (past participle of obligare), from ob- (“to”) + ligare (“to bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind”). The correct English form is obligation, spelled O-B-L-I-G-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie to someone.
  2. 2
    A social, legal, or moral requirement, duty, contract, or promise that compels someone to follow or avoid a particular course of action.
  3. 3
    A course of action imposed by society, law, or conscience by which someone is bound or restricted.
  4. 4
    A legal agreement stipulating a specified action or forbearance by a party to the agreement; the document containing such agreement.
  5. 5
    Reason for being obliged to, that is, grateful for, something.

Etymology

From Middle English obligacioun, from Old French obligacion, from Latin obligatio, obligationem, from obligatum (past participle of obligare), from ob- (“to”) + ligare (“to bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind”).

Synonyms

commitmentduty

This word in other languages

obligación(Español)obligation(Français)Verpflichtung(Deutsch)obrigação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: boligation,obbligation,obilgation,oblgiation,obliagtion,obligaiton,obligasion,obligatino,obligationn,obligatoin,obligattion,obliggation,obligtaion,oblligation,olbigation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of obligation - 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.

boligation2obbligation1obilgation2oblgiation2obliagtion2obligaiton2obligasion1obligatino2
Edit distance from "obligation"

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 "obligation"?
"obligation" is spelled O-B-L-I-G-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɒb.lɪˈɡeɪ.ʃn̩/.
What does "obligation" mean?
As a noun, "obligation" means: The act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie to someone.
What words are commonly confused with "obligation"?
"obligation" is commonly confused with "obligations". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "obligation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obligation" is /ˌɒb.lɪˈɡeɪ.ʃn̩/. 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 "obligation"?
From Middle English obligacioun, from Old French obligacion, from Latin obligatio, obligationem, from obligatum (past participle of obligare), from ob- (“to”) + ligare (“to bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind”). 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 “obligation”

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

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