perspiration

/ˌpɜːspəˈɹeɪʃən/

//ˌpɜːspəˈɹeɪʃən// noun

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

"perspiration" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“perspiration” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,817. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,817
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
19
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The action or process of perspiring.

Corpus desk

Index EN-perspiration · perspiration · English

perspiration · rank #42,817 · 19 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,817
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH phenotypic

Nearest frequency peer: phenotypic (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “perspiration”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “perspiration” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for perspiration
PropertyValue
Headwordperspiration
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌpɜːspəˈɹeɪʃən/
Letters12
Frequency rank#42,817
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “perspiration”

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).perspirationlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “phenotypic” (#42,818), “perf” (#42,815), “Philippians” (#42,819). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “perspiration” is #42,817. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around perspiration (IPA /ˌpɜːspəˈɹeɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,817 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for perspiration, with forms such as "eprspiration", "perpsiration", and "perrspiration". 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. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from late Middle French perspiration, from perspirer (“perspire”), from Latin perspirare (“to blow or breathe constantly”), from per (“through”) + spirare (“to breathe, blow”). Morphologically perspire + -ation. The correct English form is perspiration, spelled P-E-R-S-P-I-R-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The action or process of perspiring.
  2. 2
    Synonym of hard work.
  3. 3
    Sweat (fluid).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The Cauſe may be Want of Perſpiration : For Much of the Matter of Haire, in the other Parts of the Body, goeth forth by Inſenſible Perſpiration ; And beſides, the Skull being of a more ſolide Subſtance, nouriſheth and aſſimilateth leſſe, and excerneth more.
  2. Genius is 1 per cent. inspiration and 99 per cent. perspiration.

Etymology

Borrowed from late Middle French perspiration, from perspirer (“perspire”), from Latin perspirare (“to blow or breathe constantly”), from per (“through”) + spirare (“to breathe, blow”). Morphologically perspire + -ation.

This word in other languages

sudoración(Español)transpiration(Français)Schwitzen(Deutsch)suor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eprspiration
  • perpsiration
  • perrspiration
  • persipration
  • perspiartion
  • perspiraiton
  • perspirasion
  • perspiratino
  • perspirationn
  • perspiratoin
  • perspirattion
  • perspirration
  • perspirtaion
  • persppiration
  • perspriation
  • persspiration
  • pesrpiration
  • pperspiration
  • prespiration

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eprspiration2perpsiration2perrspiration1persipration2perspiartion2perspiraiton2perspirasion1perspiratino2
Edit distance from "perspiration"

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 "perspiration"?
"perspiration" is spelled P-E-R-S-P-I-R-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpɜːspəˈɹeɪʃən/.
What does "perspiration" mean?
As a noun, "perspiration" means: The action or process of perspiring.
What are common misspellings of "perspiration"?
Common misspellings include "eprspiration", "perpsiration", "perrspiration", "persipration", "perspiartion". The correct spelling is "perspiration".
How do you pronounce "perspiration"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "perspiration" is /ˌpɜːspəˈɹeɪʃən/. 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 "perspiration"?
Borrowed from late Middle French perspiration, from perspirer (“perspire”), from Latin perspirare (“to blow or breathe constantly”), from per (“through”) + spirare (“to breathe, blow”). Morphologically perspire + -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 "perspiration", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ostentatious#42,802postcolonial#42,832refreshingly#42,853restaurateur#42,865

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (19 here; floor ≥5).

invulnerable19 variantshypoglycemia19 variantsfreestanding19 variantsbreaststroke19 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list