television

/ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən/

//ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“television” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,705 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,705
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An electronic communication medium that allows the transmission of real-time visual images, and often sound.

Key facts for television
PropertyValue
Headwordtelevision
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#1,705
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “television” 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). television 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 television is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,705 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for television, with forms such as "etlevision", "teelvision", and "teleivsion". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From tele- + vision; first attested in 1900, probably influenced by French télévision from Constantin Perskyi's 1900 paper that was unpublished but presented at a Paris conference. The correct English form is television, spelled T-E-L-E-V-I-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An electronic communication medium that allows the transmission of real-time visual images, and often sound.
  2. 2
    An electronic home entertainment device equipped with a screen and a speaker for receiving television signals and displaying them in audio-visual form.
  3. 3
    Collectively, the programs broadcast via the medium of television.
  4. 4
    Vision at a distance.

Etymology

From tele- + vision; first attested in 1900, probably influenced by French télévision from Constantin Perskyi's 1900 paper that was unpublished but presented at a Paris conference.

Synonyms

boob tubecultural barbiturateelectric titelectronic babysitterglass teatgoggle boxidiot boxidiot's lanternmagic boxshit boxtelevision settellythe boxthe tubeTVzombie box

This word in other languages

televisión(Español)télévision(Français)Fernsehen(Deutsch)televisão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: etlevision,teelvision,teleivsion,televiison,televisino,televisionn,televisoin,televission,televition,televsiion,televvision,tellevision,telveision,tleevision,ttelevision

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etlevision2teelvision2teleivsion2televiison2televisino2televisionn1televisoin2televission1
Edit distance from "television"

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 "television"?
"television" is spelled T-E-L-E-V-I-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən/.
What does "television" mean?
As a noun, "television" means: An electronic communication medium that allows the transmission of real-time visual images, and often sound.
What are common misspellings of "television"?
Common misspellings include "etlevision", "teelvision", "teleivsion", "televiison", "televisino". The correct spelling is "television".
How do you pronounce "television"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "television" is /ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən/. 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 "television"?
From tele- + vision; first attested in 1900, probably influenced by French télévision from Constantin Perskyi's 1900 paper that was unpublished but presented at a Paris conference. 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 “television”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-E-L-E-V-I-S-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən/ (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
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