topography

Name: topography, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/təˈpɒɡɹəfi/

//təˈpɒɡɹəfi// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“topography” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,250. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,250
frequency rank, English: 27,828
“T” headwords: 16
tracked misspellings: 2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A precise description of a place.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

topography vs typography

90% similar

topography vs tomography

90% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for topography
Property	Value
Headword	topography
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/təˈpɒɡɹəfi/
Letters	10
Frequency rank	#20,250
Misspellings tracked	16
Confusable pairs	2
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “topography” 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). topography lands here:

#20,250

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around topography (IPA /təˈpɒɡɹəfi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #20,250 among 27,828 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for topography, with forms such as "otpography", "toopgraphy", and "topgoraphy". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "typography", "tomography", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1432. From Middle English topographye, from Latin topographia, from Ancient Greek τοπογραφία (topographía), from τόπος (tópos, “place”) + γράφω (gráphō, “I write”). The correct English form is topography, spelled T-O-P-O-G-R-A-P-H-Y.

Definition

1
A precise description of a place.
2
A detailed graphic representation of the surface features of a place or object.
3
The features themselves.
4
The surveying of the features.
5
A figurative landscape; a structure of interrelated ideas, etc.

Etymology

First attested in 1432. From Middle English topographye, from Latin topographia, from Ancient Greek τοπογραφία (topographía), from τόπος (tópos, “place”) + γράφω (gráphō, “I write”).

This word in other languages

topografía(Español)topographie(Français)Topografie(Deutsch)topografia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: otpography,toopgraphy,topgoraphy,topogarphy,topoggraphy,topograhpy,topographhy,topographyy,topograpphy,topograpyh,topogrpahy,topogrraphy,toporgaphy,toppography,tpoography,ttopography

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of topography - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "topography"

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 "topography"?

"topography" is spelled T-O-P-O-G-R-A-P-H-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /təˈpɒɡɹəfi/.

What does "topography" mean?

As a noun, "topography" means: A precise description of a place.

What words are commonly confused with "topography"?

"topography" is commonly confused with "typography", "tomography". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "topography"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "topography" is /təˈpɒɡɹəfi/. 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 "topography"?

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 “topography”

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

The one correct English spelling is T-O-P-O-G-R-A-P-H-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /təˈpɒɡɹəfi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “typography” - see the side-by-side comparison. topography vs typography
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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.