aliénation

\a.lje.na.sjɔ̃\

/\a.lje.na.sjɔ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“aliénation” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #20,344 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#20,344
frequency rank, French
10
letters
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Transfert volontaire ou forcé à autrui de la propriété ou d’un droit réel sur un bien appartenant au patrimoine d’une personne (→ voir cession et transfert).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

aliénation vs altération
80% similar
aliénation vs alimentation
75% similar

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

Key facts for aliénation
PropertyValue
Headwordaliénation
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\a.lje.na.sjɔ̃\
Letters10
Frequency rank#20,344
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “aliénation” sits in French 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). aliénation lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for aliénation is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \a.lje.na.sjɔ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #20,344 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for aliénation, with forms such as "ailénation", "alienation", and "alinéation". 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. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "altération", "alimentation", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is aliénation, spelled A-L-I-É-N-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Transfert volontaire ou forcé à autrui de la propriété ou d’un droit réel sur un bien appartenant au patrimoine d’une personne (→ voir cession et transfert).
  2. 2
    Éloignement que des personnes ont les unes pour les autres.
  3. 3
    Trouble mental grave, perte de la raison ou égarement de l’esprit.
  4. 4
    Dépossession de ce qui fait réellement le charme de l'existence ; éloignement de la réalité ; dépendance à des activités virtuelles, étrangères à la vie réelle ; vie fictive.
  5. 5
    Concernant un peuple ou un groupe social : perte d'autonomie, effacement programmé de sa culture, de sa langue et de sa pensée, dépossession de son héritage et de sa culture traditionnelle par une puissance marchande étrangère ou transnationale. Fait de devenir étranger sur son propre territoire.
  6. 6
    Atteinte aux droits sociaux, politiques et civils des individus.

This word in other languages

alienation(English)alienación(Español)Veräußerung(Deutsch)alienação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ailénation,alienation,alinéation,aliéantion,aliénaiton,aliénatino,aliénationn,aliénatoin,aliénattion,aliénnation,aliéntaion,alliénation,aléination,laiénation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ailénation2alienation1alinéation2aliéantion2aliénaiton2aliénatino2aliénationn1aliénatoin2
Edit distance from "aliénation"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "aliénation"?
"aliénation" is spelled A-L-I-É-N-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \a.lje.na.sjɔ̃\.
What does "aliénation" mean?
As a noun, "aliénation" means: Transfert volontaire ou forcé à autrui de la propriété ou d’un droit réel sur un bien appartenant au patrimoine d’une personne (→ voir cession et transfert).
What words are commonly confused with "aliénation"?
"aliénation" is commonly confused with "altération", "alimentation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "aliénation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "aliénation" is \a.lje.na.sjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "aliénation" come from?
"aliénation" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “aliénation”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is A-L-I-É-N-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \a.lje.na.sjɔ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “altération” - see the side-by-side comparison. aliénation vs altération
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list