temptation

/ˌtɛmpˈteɪʃən/

//ˌtɛmpˈteɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“temptation” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,946. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,946
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of tempting.

Corpus desk

Index EN-temptation · temptation · English

temptation · rank #10,946 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,946
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tate

Nearest frequency peer: tate (-1 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “temptation”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “temptation” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for temptation
PropertyValue
Headwordtemptation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌtɛmpˈteɪʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#10,946
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “temptation”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “tate” (#10,945), “thrill” (#10,947), “surfing” (#10,944). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “temptation” is #10,946. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around temptation (IPA /ˌtɛmpˈteɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,946 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for temptation, with forms such as "etmptation", "temmptation", and "tempattion". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French temptacion, from Latin temptatio. Morphologically tempt + -ation. The correct English form is temptation, spelled T-E-M-P-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of tempting.
  2. 2
    The condition of being tempted.
  3. 3
    Something attractive, tempting or seductive; an inducement, seducement, or enticement.
  4. 4
    Pressure applied to one's thinking designed to create wrong emotions which will eventually lead to wrong actions.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. At length, one night, when the company by ſome accident broke up much ſooner than ordinary, ſo that the candles were not half burnt out, ſhe was not able to reſiſt the temptation, but reſolved to have them ſome way or other. Accordingly, as ſoon as the hurry was over, and the ſervants, as ſhe thought, all gone to ſleep, ſhe ſtole out of her bed, and went…

Etymology

From Old French temptacion, from Latin temptatio. Morphologically tempt + -ation.

Synonyms

fitna

This word in other languages

tentación(Español)tentation(Français)Versuchung(Deutsch)tentação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etmptation
  • temmptation
  • tempattion
  • tempptation
  • temptaiton
  • temptasion
  • temptatino
  • temptationn
  • temptatoin
  • temptattion
  • tempttaion
  • tempttation
  • temtpation
  • tepmtation
  • tmeptation
  • ttemptation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etmptation2temmptation1tempattion2tempptation1temptaiton2temptasion1temptatino2temptationn1
Edit distance from "temptation"

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 "temptation"?
"temptation" is spelled T-E-M-P-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌtɛmpˈteɪʃən/.
What does "temptation" mean?
As a noun, "temptation" means: The act of tempting.
What are common misspellings of "temptation"?
Common misspellings include "etmptation", "temmptation", "tempattion", "tempptation", "temptaiton". The correct spelling is "temptation".
How do you pronounce "temptation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "temptation" is /ˌtɛmpˈteɪʃən/. 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 "temptation"?
From Old French temptacion, from Latin temptatio. Morphologically tempt + -ation. 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 "temptation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

sunglasses#10,943strawberry#10,941unfinished#10,958sacrifices#10,929

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

realization16 variantsplantation16 variantsnationality16 variantsintentional16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list