reformation

/ˌɹɛfəˈmeɪʃən/

//ˌɹɛfəˈmeɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“reformation” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,398. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,398
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An improvement (or an intended improvement) in the existing form or condition of institutions or practices, etc.; intended to make a striking change for the better in social, political or religious...

Corpus desk

Index EN-reformation · reformation · English

reformation · rank #14,398 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,398
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH redeem

Nearest frequency peer: redeem (-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 “reformation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “reformation” 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 reformation
PropertyValue
Headwordreformation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɹɛfəˈmeɪʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#14,398
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “reformation”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).reformationlands 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 “redeem” (#14,397), “recess” (#14,396), “rebound” (#14,395). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reformation” is #14,398. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around reformation (IPA /ˌɹɛfəˈmeɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #14,398 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for reformation, with forms such as "erformation", "refformation", and "refomration". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English reformacioun, reformation, from Middle French reformation and Latin refōrmātiō, refōrmātiōnis (“reform, change”), from refōrmō (“transform, reshape”), from re- + fōrmō (“shape, form”). By surface analysis, reform + -ation. The correct English form is reformation, spelled R-E-F-O-R-M-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An improvement (or an intended improvement) in the existing form or condition of institutions or practices, etc.; intended to make a striking change for the better in social, political or religious affairs or in the conduct of persons or operation of organizations.
  2. 2
    Change or correction, by a court in equity, to a written instrument to conform to the original intention of the parties.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] olde men long nusled in corruption, scorning them that would seeke reformation […]
  2. And like bright metal on a sullen ground, My reformation, glittering o'er my fault, Shall show more goodly, and attract more eyes Than that which hath no foil to set it off.

Etymology

From Middle English reformacioun, reformation, from Middle French reformation and Latin refōrmātiō, refōrmātiōnis (“reform, change”), from refōrmō (“transform, reshape”), from re- + fōrmō (“shape, form”). By surface analysis, reform + -ation.

This word in other languages

reforma(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erformation
  • refformation
  • refomration
  • reforamtion
  • reformaiton
  • reformasion
  • reformatino
  • reformationn
  • reformatoin
  • reformattion
  • reformmation
  • reformtaion
  • reforrmation
  • refromation
  • reofrmation
  • rfeormation
  • rreformation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erformation2refformation1refomration2reforamtion2reformaiton2reformasion1reformatino2reformationn1
Edit distance from "reformation"

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 "reformation"?
"reformation" is spelled R-E-F-O-R-M-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɹɛfəˈmeɪʃən/.
What does "reformation" mean?
As a noun, "reformation" means: An improvement (or an intended improvement) in the existing form or condition of institutions or practices, etc.; intended to make a striking change for the better in social, political or religious...
What are common misspellings of "reformation"?
Common misspellings include "erformation", "refformation", "refomration", "reforamtion", "reformaiton". The correct spelling is "reformation".
How do you pronounce "reformation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reformation" is /ˌɹɛfəˈmeɪʃən/. 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 "reformation"?
From Middle English reformacioun, reformation, from Middle French reformation and Latin refōrmātiō, refōrmātiōnis (“reform, change”), from refōrmō (“transform, reshape”), from re- + fōrmō (“shape, form”). By surface analysis, reform + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "reformation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sentimental#14,410magistrates#14,360interfering#14,345dysfunction#14,518

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

simultaneous17 variantsdistinctly17 variantsdisconnected17 variantsstimulating17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list