population

/ˌpɒp.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/

//ˌpɒp.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən// noun

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

"population" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“population” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,056 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,056
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The people living within a political or geographical boundary.

Key facts for population
PropertyValue
Headwordpopulation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌpɒp.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#1,056
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “population” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). population lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for population is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌpɒp.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,056 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for population, with forms such as "oppulation", "popluation", and "poppulation". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Late Latin populatio (“a people, multitude”), as if a noun of action from Classical Latin populus, equivalent to populate + -ion. Doublet of poblacion. The correct English form is population, spelled P-O-P-U-L-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The people living within a political or geographical boundary.
  2. 2
    The people with a given characteristic.
  3. 3
    A count of the number of residents within a political or geographical boundary such as a town, a nation or the world.
  4. 4
    A count of the number of residents within a political or geographical boundary such as a town, a nation or the world.
  5. 5
    A collection of organisms of a particular species, sharing a particular characteristic of interest, most often that of living in a given area.
  6. 6
    A group of units (persons, objects, or other items) enumerated in a census or from which a sample is drawn.
  7. 7
    The act of filling initially empty items in a collection.
  8. 8
    General population.

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin populatio (“a people, multitude”), as if a noun of action from Classical Latin populus, equivalent to populate + -ion. Doublet of poblacion.

This word in other languages

población(Español)population(Français)Bevölkerung(Deutsch)população(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: oppulation,popluation,poppulation,popualtion,populaiton,populasion,populatino,populationn,populatoin,populattion,popullation,popultaion,pouplation,ppopulation,ppoulation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of population - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

oppulation2popluation2poppulation1popualtion2populaiton2populasion1populatino2populationn1
Edit distance from "population"

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 "population"?
"population" is spelled P-O-P-U-L-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpɒp.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/.
What does "population" mean?
As a noun, "population" means: The people living within a political or geographical boundary.
What are common misspellings of "population"?
Common misspellings include "oppulation", "popluation", "poppulation", "popualtion", "populaiton". The correct spelling is "population".
How do you pronounce "population"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "population" is /ˌpɒp.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/. 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 "population"?
Borrowed from Late Latin populatio (“a people, multitude”), as if a noun of action from Classical Latin populus, equivalent to populate + -ion. Doublet of poblacion. 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.

Using “population”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is P-O-P-U-L-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌpɒp.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list