precipitation

/pɹɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃn̩/

//pɹɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃn̩// noun

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

"precipitation" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“precipitation” has 20 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,302. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,302
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
20
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any or all of the forms of water particles, whether liquid or solid, that fall from the upper atmosphere (e.g., rain, hail, snow or sleet). It is a major class of hydrometeor, but it is distinguish...

Corpus desk

Index EN-precipitation · precipitation · English

precipitation · rank #12,302 · 20 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,302
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 20 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH polymer

Nearest frequency peer: polymer (-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 “precipitation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “precipitation” 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 precipitation
PropertyValue
Headwordprecipitation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɹɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃn̩/
Letters13
Frequency rank#12,302
Misspellings tracked20
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “precipitation”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “polymer” (#12,301), “pledged” (#12,299), “pup” (#12,305). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “precipitation” is #12,302. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 20 spelling variants around precipitation (IPA /pɹɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃn̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,302 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for precipitation, with forms such as "percipitation", "pprecipitation", and "prceipitation". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French précipitation, from Latin praecipitātiō, praecipitātiōnem. By surface analysis, precipitate + -ion. The correct English form is precipitation, spelled P-R-E-C-I-P-I-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any or all of the forms of water particles, whether liquid or solid, that fall from the upper atmosphere (e.g., rain, hail, snow or sleet). It is a major class of hydrometeor, but it is distinguished from cloud, fog, dew, rime, frost, etc., in that it must fall. It is distinguished from cloud and virga in that it must reach the ground.
  2. 2
    The amount of water precipitated in any form.
  3. 3
    A hurried headlong fall.
  4. 4
    A reaction that leads to the formation of a heavier, and often less soluble, solid in a lighter liquid; the precipitate so formed at the bottom of the container.
  5. 5
    Unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. South Korea’s Ministry of Environment said in a news release that no major precipitation was observed after the cloud seeding operation.
  2. Some rain was expected to fall in Pennsylvania and South Jersey on Thursday, but no precipitation made it to the rest of New Jersey, New York City and most of New England -- all regions in desperate need of moisture following an extremely dry fall.

Etymology

From Middle French précipitation, from Latin praecipitātiō, praecipitātiōnem. By surface analysis, precipitate + -ion.

This word in other languages

precipitación(Español)précipitation(Français)Niederschlag(Deutsch)precipitação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • percipitation
  • pprecipitation
  • prceipitation
  • preccipitation
  • preciiptation
  • precipiattion
  • precipitaiton
  • precipitasion
  • precipitatino
  • precipitationn
  • precipitatoin
  • precipitattion
  • precipittaion
  • precipittation
  • precippitation
  • preciptiation
  • precpiitation
  • preicpitation
  • prrecipitation
  • rpecipitation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

percipitation2pprecipitation1prceipitation2preccipitation1preciiptation2precipiattion2precipitaiton2precipitasion1
Edit distance from "precipitation"

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 "precipitation"?
"precipitation" is spelled P-R-E-C-I-P-I-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃn̩/.
What does "precipitation" mean?
As a noun, "precipitation" means: Any or all of the forms of water particles, whether liquid or solid, that fall from the upper atmosphere (e.g., rain, hail, snow or sleet). It is a major class of hydrometeor, but it is distinguish...
What are common misspellings of "precipitation"?
Common misspellings include "percipitation", "pprecipitation", "prceipitation", "preccipitation", "preciiptation". The correct spelling is "precipitation".
How do you pronounce "precipitation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "precipitation" is /pɹɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃn̩/. 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 "precipitation"?
From Middle French précipitation, from Latin praecipitātiō, praecipitātiōnem. By surface analysis, precipitate + -ion. 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 "precipitation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

theoretically#12,342autobiography#12,372disrespectful#12,226computational#12,566

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (20 here; floor ≥5).

transforming20 variantscircumstance20 variantsmisunderstood20 variantsproliferation20 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list