scintillation

/ˌsɪn.tɪˈleɪ.ʃən/

//ˌsɪn.tɪˈleɪ.ʃən// noun

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

"scintillation" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“scintillation” is uncommon English (frequency #72,746 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#72,746
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A flash of light; a spark.

Key facts for scintillation
PropertyValue
Headwordscintillation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌsɪn.tɪˈleɪ.ʃən/
Letters13
Frequency rank#72,746
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “scintillation” 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). scintillation lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

scintillation is uncommon English at frequency #72,746 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌsɪn.tɪˈleɪ.ʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for scintillation in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From scintillate + -ion. The correct English form is scintillation, spelled S-C-I-N-T-I-L-L-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A flash of light; a spark.
  2. 2
    The twinkling of a star or other celestial body caused by turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere.
  3. 3
    The flash of light produced by something (especially a phosphor) when it absorbs ionizing radiation.
  4. 4
    A brief expression that is amusing or clever; witticism.

Etymology

From scintillate + -ion.

This word in other languages

scintillation(Français)

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 "scintillation"?
"scintillation" is spelled S-C-I-N-T-I-L-L-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌsɪn.tɪˈleɪ.ʃən/.
What does "scintillation" mean?
As a noun, "scintillation" means: A flash of light; a spark.
How do you pronounce "scintillation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scintillation" is /ˌsɪn.tɪˈleɪ.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 "scintillation"?
From scintillate + -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 “scintillation”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-C-I-N-T-I-L-L-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌsɪn.tɪˈleɪ.ʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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