inclusionvsintrusionWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“inclusion” and “intrusion” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#6,921
“inclusion” frequency rank
#16,733
“intrusion” frequency rank
23654
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature inclusion intrusion
Definition An addition or annex to a group, set, or total. The forcible inclusion or entry of an external group or individual; the act of intruding.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set inclusion and intrusion apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
inclusion
9 ch
intrusion

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. inclusion (/ɪnˈkluːʒən/) and intrusion (/ɪnˈtɹuːʒən/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23654, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

inclusion is recorded at frequency rank #6,921, classified as anoun, pronounced /ɪnˈkluːʒən/. intrusion is at rank #16,733, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ɪnˈtɹuːʒən/.

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 23654, this pair ranks #407,736 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of inclusion vs intrusion

Shared letters: inosu. Private to "inclusion": cl. Private to "intrusion": rt.

"inclusion" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCVVC  ·  "intrusion" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • inclusionicnlusion · incclusion · incllusion · inclsuion · incluison · inclusino · inclusionn · inclusoin
  • intrusioninntrusion · inrtusion · intrrusion · intrsuion · intruison · intrusino · intrusionn · intrusoin

Frequency comparison

inclusion#6,921
intrusion#16,733

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "inclusion" and "intrusion" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/ɪnˈkluːʒən/ versus /ɪnˈtɹuːʒən/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "inclusion" or "intrusion"?
"inclusion" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,921 in our English list, against #16,733 for "intrusion". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering inclusion vs intrusion

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “inclusion” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list