replication

/ɹɛplɪˈkeɪʃən/

//ɹɛplɪˈkeɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“replication” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,787 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,787
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The process by which an object, person, place or idea may be copied mimicked or reproduced.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

replication vs relocation
82% similar
replication vs realization
82% similar
replication vs realisation
82% similar

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

Key facts for replication
PropertyValue
Headwordreplication
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹɛplɪˈkeɪʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#16,787
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “replication” 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). replication 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 replication is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɛplɪˈkeɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,787 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 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for replication, with forms such as "erplication", "relpication", and "repilcation". 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, "relocation", "realization", "realisation", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English replicacioun, replicacion, from Anglo-Norman replicacioun and Old French replicacion (“reply, answer”), from Latin replicātiō, replicātiōnem. By surface analysis, replicate + -(at)ion. The correct English form is replication, spelled R-E-P-L-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The process by which an object, person, place or idea may be copied mimicked or reproduced.
  2. 2
    Copy; reproduction.
  3. 3
    A response from the plaintiff to the defendant's plea.
  4. 4
    The process of producing replicas of DNA or RNA molecules.
  5. 5
    The process of frequent electronic data copying a one database in one computer or server to a database in another so that all users share the same level of information. Used to improve fault tolerance of the system.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English replicacioun, replicacion, from Anglo-Norman replicacioun and Old French replicacion (“reply, answer”), from Latin replicātiō, replicātiōnem. By surface analysis, replicate + -(at)ion.

Synonyms

repetitionduplicationimitationcopyingreproductioncopyrepeatcarbon copyduplicatereplica

This word in other languages

replicación(Español)duplicata(Français)Nachbildung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: erplication,relpication,repilcation,replciation,repliaction,replicaiton,replicasion,replicatino,replicationn,replicatoin,replicattion,repliccation,replictaion,repllication,repplication,rpelication,rreplication

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erplication2relpication2repilcation2replciation2repliaction2replicaiton2replicasion1replicatino2
Edit distance from "replication"

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 "replication"?
"replication" is spelled R-E-P-L-I-C-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɛplɪˈkeɪʃən/.
What does "replication" mean?
As a noun, "replication" means: The process by which an object, person, place or idea may be copied mimicked or reproduced.
What words are commonly confused with "replication"?
"replication" is commonly confused with "relocation", "realization", "realisation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "replication"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "replication" is /ɹɛplɪˈkeɪʃən/. 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 "replication"?
Inherited from Middle English replicacioun, replicacion, from Anglo-Norman replicacioun and Old French replicacion (“reply, answer”), from Latin replicātiō, replicātiōnem. By surface analysis, replicate + -(at)ion. 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 “replication”

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

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