purification

/ˌpjʊəɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

//ˌpjʊəɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“purification” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #19,950 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#19,950
frequency rank, English
12
letters
18
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act or process of purifying; the removal of impurities.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

purification vs pacification
83% similar

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

Key facts for purification
PropertyValue
Headwordpurification
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌpjʊəɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
Letters12
Frequency rank#19,950
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “purification” 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). purification 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 purification is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌpjʊəɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,950 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 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for purification, with forms such as "ppurification", "pruification", and "puirfication". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "pacification", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French purificacion, from Latin pūrificātiō. The correct English form is purification, spelled P-U-R-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act or process of purifying; the removal of impurities.
  2. 2
    A religious act or rite in which a defiled person is made clean or free from sin.
  3. 3
    The pouring of wine into the chalice to rinse it after communion, the wine being then drunk by the priest.

Etymology

From Old French purificacion, from Latin pūrificātiō.

This word in other languages

fundición(Español)purification(Français)Reinigung(Deutsch)purificação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ppurification,pruification,puirfication,purfiication,purifciation,puriffication,purifiaction,purificaiton,purificasion,purificatino,purificationn,purificatoin,purificattion,purificcation,purifictaion,puriifcation,purrification,uprification

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ppurification1pruification2puirfication2purfiication2purifciation2puriffication1purifiaction2purificaiton2
Edit distance from "purification"

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 "purification"?
"purification" is spelled P-U-R-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpjʊəɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/.
What does "purification" mean?
As a noun, "purification" means: The act or process of purifying; the removal of impurities.
What words are commonly confused with "purification"?
"purification" is commonly confused with "pacification". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "purification"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "purification" is /ˌpjʊəɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/. 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 "purification"?
From Old French purificacion, from Latin pūrificātiō. 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 “purification”

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

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