observation

/ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃn̩/

//ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃn̩// noun

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

"observation" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“observation” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,818. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,818
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of observing, and the fact of being observed (see observance)

Corpus desk

Index EN-observation · observation · English

observation · rank #5,818 · 17 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,818
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH Nathan

Nearest frequency peer: Nathan (-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 “observation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “observation” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

observation vs observations
92% similar
observation vs observational
85% similar

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

Key facts for observation
PropertyValue
Headwordobservation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃn̩/
Letters11
Frequency rank#5,818
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “observation” sits in English frequency

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).observationlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Nathan” (#5,817), “Murphy” (#5,816), “owe” (#5,820). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around observation (IPA /ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃn̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,818 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for observation, with forms such as "boservation", "obbservation", and "obesrvation". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "observations", "observational", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English observacion, borrowed from Middle French observacion. Also a borrowing from French observation and a learned borrowing from Latin observātiō(n-). Morphologically observe + -ation. The correct English form is observation, spelled O-B-S-E-R-V-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of observing, and the fact of being observed (see observance)
  2. 2
    The act of noting and recording some event; or the record of such noting.
  3. 3
    A remark or comment.
  4. 4
    A judgement based on observing.
  5. 5
    Performance of what is prescribed; adherence in practice; observance.
  6. 6
    A regime under which a subject is routinely observed.
  7. 7
    A realization of a random variable.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. But Miss Thorn relieved the situation by laughing aloud,[…]. We began to tell her about Mohair and the cotillon, and of our point of observation from the Florentine galleried porch, and she insisted she would join us there.
  2. The physics of elementary particles in the 20th century was distinguished by the observation of particles whose existence had been predicted by theorists sometimes decades earlier.

Etymology

From Middle English observacion, borrowed from Middle French observacion. Also a borrowing from French observation and a learned borrowing from Latin observātiō(n-). Morphologically observe + -ation.

This word in other languages

observación(Español)observation(Français)Beobachtung(Deutsch)observação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • boservation
  • obbservation
  • obesrvation
  • obseravtion
  • obserrvation
  • observaiton
  • observasion
  • observatino
  • observationn
  • observatoin
  • observattion
  • observtaion
  • observvation
  • obsevration
  • obsrevation
  • obsservation
  • osbervation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

boservation2obbservation1obesrvation2obseravtion2obserrvation1observaiton2observasion1observatino2
Edit distance from "observation"

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 "observation"?
"observation" is spelled O-B-S-E-R-V-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃn̩/.
What does "observation" mean?
As a noun, "observation" means: The act of observing, and the fact of being observed (see observance)
What words are commonly confused with "observation"?
"observation" is commonly confused with "observations", "observational". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "observation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "observation" is /ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃn̩/. 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 "observation"?
From Middle English observacion, borrowed from Middle French observacion. Also a borrowing from French observation and a learned borrowing from Latin observātiō(n-). Morphologically observe + -ation. 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 "observation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

fascinating#5,789complaining#5,867statistical#5,735unfortunate#5,924

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

availability17 variantsbankruptcy17 variantspossibilities17 variantsrestoration17 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "observation". Here's where to go from here.

  • "observation" maps to 2 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "observations". View pair
  • 17 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #5,818 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "O" letter cohort. O–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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