operation
/ˌɒp.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
"operation" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“operation” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,279 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #1,279
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
- 7
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The method by which a device performs its function.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | operation |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌɒp.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #1,279 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 7 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “operation” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for operation is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɒp.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,279 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for operation, with forms such as "oepration", "opeartion", and "operaiton". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "oration", "operator", "operative", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₃épos Proto-Italic *opos Latin opus Latin opera Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *… The correct English form is operation, spelled O-P-E-R-A-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1The method by which a device performs its function.
- 2The method or practice by which actions are done.
- 3The act or process of operating (verb): agency; the exertion of power, physical, mechanical, or moral.
- 4A planned undertaking.
- 5A business or organization.
- 6A surgical procedure.
- 7A procedure for generating a value from one or more other values (the operands).
- 8A procedure for generating a value from one or more other values (the operands).
- 9A military campaign (e.g. Operation Desert Storm).
- 10Effect produced; influence.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₃épos Proto-Italic *opos Latin opus Latin opera Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Latin operātus Latin operor Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Latin -tiō Latin operātiōder. Old French operacionbor. Middle English operacioun English operation From Middle English operacioun, from Old French operacion, from Latin operātiō, from the verb operor (“to work”), from opus, operis (“work”). Equivalent to operate + -ion.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: oepration,opeartion,operaiton,operasion,operatino,operationn,operatoin,operattion,operration,opertaion,opperation,opreation,poeration
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of operation - 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.
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
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Using “operation”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is O-P-E-R-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌɒp.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “oration” - see the side-by-side comparison. operation vs oration
- 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.