supplication

/sʌplɪˈkeɪʃən/

//sʌplɪˈkeɪʃən// noun

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

"supplication" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“supplication” is uncommon English (frequency #53,284 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,284
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An act of supplicating; a humble request.

Key facts for supplication
PropertyValue
Headwordsupplication
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/sʌplɪˈkeɪʃən/
Letters12
Frequency rank#53,284
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “supplication” 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). supplication 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

supplication is uncommon English at frequency #53,284 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /sʌplɪˈkeɪʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for supplication in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English supplicacioun, supplication, from Old French supplication, from Latin supplicatio, supplicationem, from supplicare (“to supplicate”). By surface analysis, supplicate + -ion. The correct English form is supplication, spelled S-U-P-P-L-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An act of supplicating; a humble request.
  2. 2
    An act of supplicating; a humble request.
  3. 3
    A prayer or entreaty to a god.
  4. 4
    In Ancient Rome, a solemn service or day decreed for giving formal thanks to the gods for victory, etc.
  5. 5
    The process by which a doctorate at Oxford university is officially requested after a thesis has been approved.

Etymology

From Middle English supplicacioun, supplication, from Old French supplication, from Latin supplicatio, supplicationem, from supplicare (“to supplicate”). By surface analysis, supplicate + -ion.

This word in other languages

supplication(Français)Flehen(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 "supplication"?
"supplication" is spelled S-U-P-P-L-I-C-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /sʌplɪˈkeɪʃən/.
What does "supplication" mean?
As a noun, "supplication" means: An act of supplicating; a humble request.
How do you pronounce "supplication"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "supplication" is /sʌplɪˈkeɪʃən/. 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 "supplication"?
From Middle English supplicacioun, supplication, from Old French supplication, from Latin supplicatio, supplicationem, from supplicare (“to supplicate”). By surface analysis, supplicate + -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 “supplication”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-U-P-P-L-I-C-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /sʌplɪˈkeɪʃən/ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list