graduation

\ɡʁa.dɥa.sjɔ̃\

/\ɡʁa.dɥa.sjɔ̃\/ noun

The verdict

“graduation” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #40,293 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#40,293
frequency rank, French
10
letters
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Action de graduer un objet, en plaçant des repères régulièrement espacés, dans le but d'effectuer des mesures.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

graduation vs gradation
90% similar

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

Key facts for graduation
PropertyValue
Headwordgraduation
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ɡʁa.dɥa.sjɔ̃\
Letters10
Frequency rank#40,293
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “graduation” 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). graduation 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 graduation is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɡʁa.dɥa.sjɔ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #40,293 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 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 graduation, with forms such as "garduation", "ggraduation", and "gradaution". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "gradation", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is graduation, spelled G-R-A-D-U-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Action de graduer un objet, en plaçant des repères régulièrement espacés, dans le but d'effectuer des mesures.
  2. 2
    Ensemble ou chacun des repères marqués sur l'objet gradué.
  3. 3
    Codage de son ou d'image produisant un signal numérique dont on peut utiliser une partie plus ou moins grande correspondant à une qualité plus ou moins bonne.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: garduation,ggraduation,gradaution,gradduation,graduaiton,graduatino,graduationn,graduatoin,graduattion,gradutaion,graudation,grdauation,grraduation,rgaduation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

garduation2ggraduation1gradaution2gradduation1graduaiton2graduatino2graduationn1graduatoin2
Edit distance from "graduation"

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 "graduation"?
"graduation" is spelled G-R-A-D-U-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ɡʁa.dɥa.sjɔ̃\.
What does "graduation" mean?
As a noun, "graduation" means: Action de graduer un objet, en plaçant des repères régulièrement espacés, dans le but d'effectuer des mesures.
What words are commonly confused with "graduation"?
"graduation" is commonly confused with "gradation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "graduation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "graduation" is \ɡʁa.dɥa.sjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "graduation" come from?
"graduation" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “graduation”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is G-R-A-D-U-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɡʁa.dɥa.sjɔ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “gradation” - see the side-by-side comparison. graduation vs gradation
  • 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