predation

noun

"predation" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“predation” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,980. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,980
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The preying of one animal on others.

Corpus desk

Index EN-predation · predation · English

predation · rank #32,980 · 14 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,980
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH preheat

Nearest frequency peer: preheat (+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 “predation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “predation” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

predation vs predator
78% similar
predation vs probation
78% similar
predation vs prediction
80% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for predation
PropertyValue
Headwordpredation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters9
Frequency rank#32,980
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “predation”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).predationlands 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 “preheat” (#32,981), “pouches” (#32,977), “Pringle” (#32,983). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “predation” is #32,980. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around predation, anoun. Corpus frequency is #32,980 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for predation, with forms such as "perdation", "ppredation", and "prdeation". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "predator", "probation", "prediction", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin praedātiō, praedātiōnis, from praedor (“pillage, plunder”), from praeda (“plunder, spoils”). The correct English form is predation, spelled P-R-E-D-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The preying of one animal on others.
  2. 2
    The action of attacking or plundering.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. […]this priest roade in his goune of velvet, with a greate trayne, and was received into every Religion with Procession, as though the legate had bene there, and toke such greate sommes for his visitacion, that the religious sore were greved, and murmured much against it, and in especiall, for they were charged with greate sommes of money to the kyng, and…

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin praedātiō, praedātiōnis, from praedor (“pillage, plunder”), from praeda (“plunder, spoils”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • perdation
  • ppredation
  • prdeation
  • preadtion
  • predaiton
  • predasion
  • predatino
  • predationn
  • predatoin
  • predattion
  • preddation
  • predtaion
  • prredation
  • rpedation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of predation - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

perdation2ppredation1prdeation2preadtion2predaiton2predasion1predatino2predationn1
Edit distance from "predation"

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 "predation"?
"predation" is spelled P-R-E-D-A-T-I-O-N.
What does "predation" mean?
As a noun, "predation" means: The preying of one animal on others.
What words are commonly confused with "predation"?
"predation" is commonly confused with "predator", "probation", "prediction". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What is the origin of the word "predation"?
Borrowed from Latin praedātiō, praedātiōnis, from praedor (“pillage, plunder”), from praeda (“plunder, spoils”). 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 "predation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list