palpitation

/ˌpælpɪˈteɪʃən/

//ˌpælpɪˈteɪʃən// noun

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

The verdict

“palpitation” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An abnormal beating of the heart that may be perceived by the patient, a result of excitement, exertion, or illness.

Corpus desk

Index EN-palpitation · palpitation · English

palpitation · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for palpitation
PropertyValue
Headwordpalpitation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌpælpɪˈteɪʃən/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “palpitation” in English

palpitationsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

palpitation is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌpælpɪˈteɪʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "An abnormal beating of the heart that may be perceived by the patient, a result of excitement, exertion, or illness.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for palpitation, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French palpitation, from Latin palpitatio. The correct English form is palpitation, spelled P-A-L-P-I-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An abnormal beating of the heart that may be perceived by the patient, a result of excitement, exertion, or illness.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Sometimes my pulse beat so quickly and hardly, that I felt the palpitation of every artery; at others, I nearly sank to the ground through languor and extreme weakness.

Etymology

From Middle French palpitation, from Latin palpitatio.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "palpitation"?
"palpitation" is spelled P-A-L-P-I-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpælpɪˈteɪʃən/.
What does "palpitation" mean?
As a noun, "palpitation" means: An abnormal beating of the heart that may be perceived by the patient, a result of excitement, exertion, or illness.
How do you pronounce "palpitation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "palpitation" is /ˌpælpɪˈteɪʃən/. 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 "palpitation"?
From Middle French palpitation, from Latin palpitatio. 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list