triangulation

/tɹaɪˌæŋɡjʊˈleɪʃən/

//tɹaɪˌæŋɡjʊˈleɪʃən// noun

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

"triangulation" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“triangulation” has 20 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,460. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,460
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
20
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A technique in which distances and directions are estimated from an accurately measured baseline and the principles of trigonometry; (countable) an instance of the use of this technique.

Corpus desk

Index EN-triangulation · triangulation · English

triangulation · rank #42,460 · 20 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,460
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 20 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH trapeze

Nearest frequency peer: trapeze (-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 “triangulation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “triangulation” 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 triangulation
PropertyValue
Headwordtriangulation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tɹaɪˌæŋɡjʊˈleɪʃən/
Letters13
Frequency rank#42,460
Misspellings tracked20
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “triangulation”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).triangulationlands 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 “trapeze” (#42,459), “trifling” (#42,461), “transcribe” (#42,458). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “triangulation” is #42,460. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 20 spelling variants around triangulation (IPA /tɹaɪˌæŋɡjʊˈleɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,460 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for triangulation, with forms such as "rtiangulation", "tirangulation", and "traingulation". 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, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin triangulātiō (“triangulation”), from triangulō (“to triangulate”) + -tiō (noun-forming suffix). Triangulō is derived from triangulus (“triangular; triangle”), from trēs (“three”) + angulus (“angle; corner”). By surface analysis, triangul… The correct English form is triangulation, spelled T-R-I-A-N-G-U-L-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A technique in which distances and directions are estimated from an accurately measured baseline and the principles of trigonometry; (countable) an instance of the use of this technique.
  2. 2
    The network of triangles so obtained, that are the basis of a chart or map.
  3. 3
    A delaying move in which the king moves in a triangular path to force the advance of a pawn.
  4. 4
    A subdivision of a planar object into triangles, and by extension the subdivision of a higher-dimension geometric object into simplices.
  5. 5
    A process by which an unknown location is found using three known distances from known locations.
  6. 6
    The practice of repositioning one's group or oneself on the political spectrum in an attempt to capture the centre.
  7. 7
    The use of three (or more) researchers to interview the same people or to evaluate the same evidence to reduce the impact of individual bias.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The season of 1835–36 was employed in carrying on the triangulation; in which Colonel [George] Everest was much impeded by a long continuance of hazy and cloudy weather. It appears, however, that the principal triangulation was brought down to the line from Juktipura to Pagara; […]
  2. Russia began under Catherine II, and has since constantly either taken up at different points or extended the triangulations successively made, with always more perfection of men of science. Now, these triangulations form a fully connected series from north of the arctic circle to south of Dorpat.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin triangulātiō (“triangulation”), from triangulō (“to triangulate”) + -tiō (noun-forming suffix). Triangulō is derived from triangulus (“triangular; triangle”), from trēs (“three”) + angulus (“angle; corner”). By surface analysis, triangulate + ion; cognate with French triangulation.

This word in other languages

triangulation(Français)triangulação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rtiangulation
  • tirangulation
  • traingulation
  • triagnulation
  • trianggulation
  • triangluation
  • triangualtion
  • triangulaiton
  • triangulasion
  • triangulatino
  • triangulationn
  • triangulatoin
  • triangulattion
  • triangullation
  • triangultaion
  • trianngulation
  • trianuglation
  • trinagulation
  • trriangulation
  • ttriangulation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of triangulation - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

rtiangulation2tirangulation2traingulation2triagnulation2trianggulation1triangluation2triangualtion2triangulaiton2
Edit distance from "triangulation"

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 "triangulation"?
"triangulation" is spelled T-R-I-A-N-G-U-L-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /tɹaɪˌæŋɡjʊˈleɪʃən/.
What does "triangulation" mean?
As a noun, "triangulation" means: A technique in which distances and directions are estimated from an accurately measured baseline and the principles of trigonometry; (countable) an instance of the use of this technique.
What are common misspellings of "triangulation"?
Common misspellings include "rtiangulation", "tirangulation", "traingulation", "triagnulation", "trianggulation". The correct spelling is "triangulation".
How do you pronounce "triangulation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "triangulation" is /tɹaɪˌæŋɡjʊˈleɪʃən/. 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 "triangulation"?
From Medieval Latin triangulātiō (“triangulation”), from triangulō (“to triangulate”) + -tiō (noun-forming suffix). Triangulō is derived from triangulus (“triangular; triangle”), from trēs (“three”) + angulus (“angle; corner”). By surface analysis... 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 "triangulation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

stabilisation#42,421authentically#42,533polypropylene#42,345insufficiency#42,207

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (20 here; floor ≥5).

linguistically20 variantsirreconcilable20 variantshydrothermal20 variantscyberbullying20 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list