permutation
per·mu·ta·tion/ˌpɝ.mjʊˈteɪ.ʃ(ə)n/noun
permutation is spelled P-E-R-M-U-T-A-T-I-O-N: 11 letters and 4 syllables (per·mu·ta·tion). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,767th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, permutation means “One of the ways something exists, or the ways a set of objects can be ordered” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of permutation is permutations.
How many letters and syllables are in permutation?
| Letters | 11: P-E-R-M-U-T-A-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4: per·mu·ta·tion |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,767th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
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 permutation?
Permutation appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,767th 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 permutation?
- UK /ˌpɜː.mjʊˈteɪ.ʃən/
- UK [ˌpɜː.mjʊˈteɪ.ʃn̩]
- US /ˌpɝ.mjʊˈteɪ.ʃ(ə)n/
Permutation has 4 syllables, split per·mu·ta·tion in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-permutation.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Jjamesryan-permutation.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with permutation?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as permutation from its last stressed vowel (/eɪʃn/):
- information
- formation
- preparation
- presentation
- relation
- identification
- observation
- variation
- obligation
- simulation
- notification
- calculation
Spelled with the same letters in another order: importunate.
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 permutation
- permutations plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does permutation mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
One of the ways something exists, or the ways a set of objects can be ordered.
Which permutation for completing our agenda items makes the most sense?
- 2
A one-to-one mapping from a finite set to itself.
This permutation takes each element to the one following it, with the last mapped back to the first.
- 3
An ordering of a finite set of distinct elements.
There are six permutations of three elements, e.g. {abc, acb, bac, bca, cab, cba}.
- 4
A transformation of a set's prime form, by applying one or more of certain operations, specifically, transposition, inversion, and retrograde.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Permutation in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | permutation |
| Portuguese | permutação |
| Spanish | permutación |
| German | Permutation |
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 permutation come from?
From Middle English permutacioun, permutacyoun, from Old French permutacïon, promutatïon and Medieval Latin permūtātiōnem, accusative of permūtātiō. Morphologically permute + -ation.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).