trepidation

/ˌtɹɛp.ɪˈdeɪ.ʃən/

//ˌtɹɛp.ɪˈdeɪ.ʃən// noun

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

"trepidation" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“trepidation” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #40,936. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,936
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Anxiety over the uncertain future or possible ill-occurrence.

Corpus desk

Index EN-trepidation · trepidation · English

trepidation · rank #40,936 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #40,936
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH Trumbull

Nearest frequency peer: Trumbull (+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 “trepidation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “trepidation” 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 trepidation
PropertyValue
Headwordtrepidation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌtɹɛp.ɪˈdeɪ.ʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#40,936
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “trepidation”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).trepidationlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Trumbull” (#40,937), “translocation” (#40,934), “Turkmen” (#40,938). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “trepidation” is #40,936. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around trepidation (IPA /ˌtɹɛp.ɪˈdeɪ.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #40,936 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for trepidation, with forms such as "rtepidation", "terpidation", and "treipdation". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin trepidātiō, from trepidō (“be agitated”). The correct English form is trepidation, spelled T-R-E-P-I-D-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Anxiety over the uncertain future or possible ill-occurrence.
  2. 2
    An involuntary trembling, sometimes an effect of paralysis, but usually caused by terror or fear.
  3. 3
    A libration of the starry sphere in the Ptolemaic system; a motion ascribed to the firmament, to account for certain small changes in the position of the ecliptic and of the stars.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I decided, with considerable trepidation, to let him drive my car without me.
  2. She reached it soon after half-past two. She found its gloomy nineteenth-century façade, black with the smuts of ninety years, a little daunting, and mounted its broad steps in some trepidation. But she rang the bell hard and knocked firmly.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin trepidātiō, from trepidō (“be agitated”).

This word in other languages

preocupación(Español)inquiétude(Français)Beklommenheit(Deutsch)trepidação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rtepidation
  • terpidation
  • treipdation
  • trepdiation
  • trepiadtion
  • trepidaiton
  • trepidasion
  • trepidatino
  • trepidationn
  • trepidatoin
  • trepidattion
  • trepiddation
  • trepidtaion
  • treppidation
  • trpeidation
  • trrepidation
  • ttrepidation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rtepidation2terpidation2treipdation2trepdiation2trepiadtion2trepidaiton2trepidasion1trepidatino2
Edit distance from "trepidation"

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 "trepidation"?
"trepidation" is spelled T-R-E-P-I-D-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌtɹɛp.ɪˈdeɪ.ʃən/.
What does "trepidation" mean?
As a noun, "trepidation" means: Anxiety over the uncertain future or possible ill-occurrence.
What are common misspellings of "trepidation"?
Common misspellings include "rtepidation", "terpidation", "treipdation", "trepdiation", "trepiadtion". The correct spelling is "trepidation".
How do you pronounce "trepidation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "trepidation" is /ˌtɹɛp.ɪˈdeɪ.ʃən/. 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 "trepidation"?
Borrowed from Latin trepidātiō, from trepidō (“be agitated”). 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 "trepidation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

trailblazer#40,932vibrational#40,954vicariously#40,955stigmatized#40,907

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

standardize17 variantsresurfacing17 variantsnightstand17 variantsfornication17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list