preparation

\ˌpɹɛp.ə.ˈɹeɪ.ʃən\

/\ˌpɹɛp.ə.ˈɹeɪ.ʃən\/ noun

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

The verdict

“preparation” is an uncommon French word, ranked #51,672 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#51,672
frequency rank, French
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Préparatif.

Key facts for preparation
PropertyValue
Headwordpreparation
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ˌpɹɛp.ə.ˈɹeɪ.ʃən\
Letters11
Frequency rank#51,672
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “preparation” 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). preparation 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 preparation is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ˌpɹɛp.ə.ˈɹeɪ.ʃən\. Corpus data places it at rank #51,672 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

preparation doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable French rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct French form is preparation, spelled P-R-E-P-A-R-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Préparatif.
  2. 2
    Préparation.

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 "preparation"?
"preparation" is spelled P-R-E-P-A-R-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ˌpɹɛp.ə.ˈɹeɪ.ʃən\.
What does "preparation" mean?
As a noun, "preparation" means: Préparatif.
How do you pronounce "preparation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "preparation" is \ˌpɹɛp.ə.ˈɹeɪ.ʃən\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "preparation" come from?
"preparation" 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 “preparation”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-R-E-P-A-R-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˌpɹɛp.ə.ˈɹeɪ.ʃən\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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