transliteration

/ˌtɹænzlɪtəˈɹeɪʃən/

//ˌtɹænzlɪtəˈɹeɪʃən// noun

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

"transliteration" is a 15-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“transliteration” is uncommon English (frequency #57,780 among 27,828 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,780
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act or product of transliterating, of representing letters or words in the characters of another alphabet or script.

Key facts for transliteration
PropertyValue
Headwordtransliteration
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌtɹænzlɪtəˈɹeɪʃən/
Letters15
Frequency rank#57,780
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “transliteration” 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). transliteration 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

transliteration is uncommon English at frequency #57,780 among 27,828 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌtɹænzlɪtəˈɹeɪʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

transliteration has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From trans- + literation. The correct English form is transliteration, spelled T-R-A-N-S-L-I-T-E-R-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act or product of transliterating, of representing letters or words in the characters of another alphabet or script.
  2. 2
    The act or product of rendering speech in sign language, or vice versa.

Etymology

From trans- + literation.

This word in other languages

transcripción(Español)transcription(Français)Transkription(Deutsch)transcrição(Português)

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 "transliteration"?
"transliteration" is spelled T-R-A-N-S-L-I-T-E-R-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌtɹænzlɪtəˈɹeɪʃən/.
What does "transliteration" mean?
As a noun, "transliteration" means: The act or product of transliterating, of representing letters or words in the characters of another alphabet or script.
How do you pronounce "transliteration"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "transliteration" is /ˌtɹænzlɪtəˈɹeɪʃən/. 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 "transliteration"?
From trans- + literation. 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 “transliteration”

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

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