provocation

/ˌpɹɑvəˈkeɪʃən/

//ˌpɹɑvəˈkeɪʃən// noun

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

"provocation" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“provocation” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,778 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#22,778
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of provoking, inciting or annoying someone into doing something.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

provocation vs provocative
82% similar

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

Key facts for provocation
PropertyValue
Headwordprovocation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌpɹɑvəˈkeɪʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#22,778
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “provocation” 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). provocation 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 provocation is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌpɹɑvəˈkeɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,778 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for provocation, with forms such as "porvocation", "pprovocation", and "proovcation". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "provocative", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English provocacioun, from Old French provocacion, from Late Latin prōvocātiō, prōvocātiōnem, from Latin prōvocō. Doublet of provokatsiya. The correct English form is provocation, spelled P-R-O-V-O-C-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of provoking, inciting or annoying someone into doing something.
  2. 2
    Something that provokes; a provocative act.
  3. 3
    The second step in OPQRST regarding the investigation of what makes the symptoms MOI or NOI improve or deteriorate.

Etymology

From Middle English provocacioun, from Old French provocacion, from Late Latin prōvocātiō, prōvocātiōnem, from Latin prōvocō. Doublet of provokatsiya.

This word in other languages

provocación(Español)provocation(Français)Provokation(Deutsch)provocação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: porvocation,pprovocation,proovcation,provcoation,provoaction,provocaiton,provocasion,provocatino,provocationn,provocatoin,provocattion,provoccation,provoctaion,provvocation,prrovocation,prvoocation,rpovocation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

porvocation2pprovocation1proovcation2provcoation2provoaction2provocaiton2provocasion1provocatino2
Edit distance from "provocation"

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 "provocation"?
"provocation" is spelled P-R-O-V-O-C-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpɹɑvəˈkeɪʃən/.
What does "provocation" mean?
As a noun, "provocation" means: The act of provoking, inciting or annoying someone into doing something.
What words are commonly confused with "provocation"?
"provocation" is commonly confused with "provocative". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "provocation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "provocation" is /ˌpɹɑvəˈkeɪʃən/. 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 "provocation"?
From Middle English provocacioun, from Old French provocacion, from Late Latin prōvocātiō, prōvocātiōnem, from Latin prōvocō. Doublet of provokatsiya. 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 “provocation”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-R-O-V-O-C-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌpɹɑvəˈkeɪʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “provocative” - see the side-by-side comparison. provocation vs provocative
  • 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