salutation

/ˌsæljuˈteɪʃən/

//ˌsæljuˈteɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“salutation” is uncommon English (frequency #57,044 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,044
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A greeting, salute, or address; a hello.

Corpus desk

Index EN-salutation · salutation · English

salutation · rank #57,044 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #57,044
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sainthood

Nearest frequency peer: sainthood (-2 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.

Long-tail ranks near “salutation”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “salutation” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for salutation
PropertyValue
Headwordsalutation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌsæljuˈteɪʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#57,044
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “salutation” in English

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

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “sainthood” (#57,042), “sapper” (#57,046), “sautéed” (#57,047). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “salutation” is #57,044. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

salutation is uncommon English at frequency #57,044 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌsæljuˈteɪʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for salutation in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English salutacioun, from Old French salutacion, from Latin salutatio (“a greeting, a wishing health to”), from saluto (“wish one’s health, greet”), from salus (“well-being”). Compare the Latin greeting salve (literally “be well”). The correct English form is salutation, spelled S-A-L-U-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A greeting, salute, or address; a hello.
  2. 2
    A greeting, salute, or address; a hello.
  3. 3
    The act of greeting.
  4. 4
    Quickening; excitement.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Welcome, we²l'ku²m. a. Received with gladneſs, admitted willingly, grateful[…] Welcome, we²l'ku²m. interj. A form of ſalutation uſed to a new comer.

Etymology

From Middle English salutacioun, from Old French salutacion, from Latin salutatio (“a greeting, a wishing health to”), from saluto (“wish one’s health, greet”), from salus (“well-being”). Compare the Latin greeting salve (literally “be well”).

This word in other languages

salutación(Español)titre(Français)Begrüßung(Deutsch)

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 "salutation"?
"salutation" is spelled S-A-L-U-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌsæljuˈteɪʃən/.
What does "salutation" mean?
As a noun, "salutation" means: A greeting, salute, or address; a hello.
How do you pronounce "salutation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "salutation" is /ˌsæljuˈteɪʃən/. 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 "salutation"?
From Middle English salutacioun, from Old French salutacion, from Latin salutatio (“a greeting, a wishing health to”), from saluto (“wish one’s health, greet”), from salus (“well-being”). Compare the Latin greeting salve (literally “be well”). 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 "salutation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Sherbrooke#57,065Srebrenica#57,092precession#56,987Poindexter#56,984

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list