recitation

/ˌɹɛsɪˈteɪʃən/

//ˌɹɛsɪˈteɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“recitation” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #32,994 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#32,994
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of publicly reciting something previously memorized.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

recitation vs reputation
80% similar
recitation vs recreation
80% similar
recitation vs refutation
80% similar

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

Key facts for recitation
PropertyValue
Headwordrecitation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɹɛsɪˈteɪʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#32,994
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “recitation” 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). recitation 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 recitation is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɹɛsɪˈteɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #32,994 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 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 recitation, with forms such as "ercitation", "rceitation", and "reccitation". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "reputation", "recreation", "refutation", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French récitation, from Latin recitatio, equivalent to recite + -ation. The correct English form is recitation, spelled R-E-C-I-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of publicly reciting something previously memorized.
  2. 2
    The material recited.
  3. 3
    A regularly scheduled class, in a school, in which discussion occurs of the material covered in a parallel lecture.
  4. 4
    A reiteration; a setting down, e.g. for ease of reference, of something previously established.
  5. 5
    A part of a song's lyrics that is spoken rather than sung.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French récitation, from Latin recitatio, equivalent to recite + -ation.

This word in other languages

recitación(Español)récitation(Français)Rezitation(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ercitation,rceitation,reccitation,reciattion,recitaiton,recitasion,recitatino,recitationn,recitatoin,recitattion,recittaion,recittation,rectiation,reictation,rrecitation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ercitation2rceitation2reccitation1reciattion2recitaiton2recitasion1recitatino2recitationn1
Edit distance from "recitation"

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 "recitation"?
"recitation" is spelled R-E-C-I-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɹɛsɪˈteɪʃən/.
What does "recitation" mean?
As a noun, "recitation" means: The act of publicly reciting something previously memorized.
What words are commonly confused with "recitation"?
"recitation" is commonly confused with "reputation", "recreation", "refutation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "recitation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "recitation" is /ˌɹɛsɪˈteɪʃən/. 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 "recitation"?
Borrowed from Middle French récitation, from Latin recitatio, equivalent to recite + -ation. 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 “recitation”

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

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