observation
ob·ser·va·tion/ˌɑbzɚˈveɪʃn̩/noun
observation is spelled O-B-S-E-R-V-A-T-I-O-N: 11 letters and 4 syllables (ob·ser·va·tion). It appears 13 times per million words in written English, the 5,778th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, observation means “The act of observing, and the fact of being observed (see observance)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of observation is observations.
How many letters and syllables are in observation?
| Letters | 11: O-B-S-E-R-V-A-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4: ob·ser·va·tion |
| In writing | 13 times per million words; the 5,778th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is observation?
Observation appears 13 times per million words in written English, the 5,778th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce observation?
- UK /ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃn̩/
- US /ˌɑbzɚˈveɪʃn̩/
Observation has 4 syllables, split ob·ser·va·tion in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-observation.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with observation?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as observation from its last stressed vowel (/eɪʃn/):
- information
- formation
- preparation
- presentation
- relation
- identification
- variation
- obligation
- simulation
- notification
- calculation
- reconciliation
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of observation
- observations plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does observation mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The act of observing, and the fact of being observed (see observance)
- 2
The act of noting and recording some event; or the record of such noting.
- 3
A remark or comment.
- 4
A judgement based on observing.
- 5
An evaluation conducted through observing.
I need to do your observation before the end of the week.
- 6
Performance of what is prescribed; adherence in practice; observance.
- 7
A regime under which a subject is routinely observed.
- 8
A realization of a random variable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate observation?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of observation: obsn..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Observation in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | observation , remarque |
| German | Beobachtung , Bemerkung |
| Portuguese | observação , comentário , registro , parecer |
| Spanish | observación, vigilancia, observancia , anotación, registro |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does observation come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).