refutation

/ˌɹɛf.jʊˈteɪ.ʃən/

//ˌɹɛf.jʊˈteɪ.ʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“refutation” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #46,141. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#46,141
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An act of refuting or disproving; the disproving of an argument, opinion, testimony, doctrine or theory by argument or countervailing proof; evidence of falseness.

Corpus desk

Index EN-refutation · refutation · English

refutation · rank #46,141 · 15 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #46,141
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH redrawn

Nearest frequency peer: redrawn (-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 “refutation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “refutation” 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).

refutation vs reputation
90% similar
refutation vs regulation
80% similar
refutation vs recitation
80% similar

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

Key facts for refutation
PropertyValue
Headwordrefutation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɹɛf.jʊˈteɪ.ʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#46,141
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “refutation”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).refutationlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “redrawn” (#46,140), “remiss” (#46,142), “redraw” (#46,139). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “refutation” is #46,141. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around refutation (IPA /ˌɹɛf.jʊˈteɪ.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #46,141 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for refutation, with forms such as "erfutation", "reffutation", and "reftuation". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "reputation", "regulation", "recitation", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French refutation (compare French réfutation, Spanish refutación, Portuguese refutação, Italian refutazione) or its etymon Latin refūtātiō, from refūtō + -ātiō. By surface analysis, refute + -ation. First attested in 1536 (in sense 1). The correct English form is refutation, spelled R-E-F-U-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An act of refuting or disproving; the disproving of an argument, opinion, testimony, doctrine or theory by argument or countervailing proof; evidence of falseness.
  2. 2
    A vocal answer to an attack on one's assertions.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Near-synonyms: rebuttal (see note), counterargument, counterassertion, counterclaim, denial
  2. Apply these tests to his arguments and you will render your task of refutation easier. But in your refutation, be sure you refute. Don’t think for a minute that either heat or violence or sarcasm is a good answer.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French refutation (compare French réfutation, Spanish refutación, Portuguese refutação, Italian refutazione) or its etymon Latin refūtātiō, from refūtō + -ātiō. By surface analysis, refute + -ation. First attested in 1536 (in sense 1).

This word in other languages

refutación(Español)réfutation(Français)Widerlegung(Deutsch)refutação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erfutation
  • reffutation
  • reftuation
  • refuattion
  • refutaiton
  • refutasion
  • refutatino
  • refutationn
  • refutatoin
  • refutattion
  • refuttaion
  • refuttation
  • reuftation
  • rfeutation
  • rrefutation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erfutation2reffutation1reftuation2refuattion2refutaiton2refutasion1refutatino2refutationn1
Edit distance from "refutation"

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 "refutation"?
"refutation" is spelled R-E-F-U-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɹɛf.jʊˈteɪ.ʃən/.
What does "refutation" mean?
As a noun, "refutation" means: An act of refuting or disproving; the disproving of an argument, opinion, testimony, doctrine or theory by argument or countervailing proof; evidence of falseness.
What words are commonly confused with "refutation"?
"refutation" is commonly confused with "reputation", "regulation", "recitation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "refutation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "refutation" is /ˌɹɛf.jʊˈteɪ.ʃən/. 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 "refutation"?
Borrowed from Middle French refutation (compare French réfutation, Spanish refutación, Portuguese refutação, Italian refutazione) or its etymon Latin refūtātiō, from refūtō + -ātiō. By surface analysis, refute + -ation. First attested in 1536 (in ... 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 "refutation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

remittance#46,143recompense#46,135rheumatism#46,151scribbling#46,165

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

rightwing15 variantsunreadable15 variantsyesteryear15 variantsirrelevance15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list