processingvsprocessionWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,253
“processing” frequency rank
#13,589
“procession” frequency rank
16842
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature processing procession
Definition The action of the verb to process. The act of progressing or proceeding.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set processing and procession apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
processing
10 ch
procession

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

processing and procession form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16842, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

processing is recorded at frequency rank #3,253, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈpɹəʊsɛsɪŋ/. procession is at rank #13,589, tagged as anoun, pronounced /pɹəˈsɛʃən/.

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 16842, this pair ranks #455,264 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

processing#3,253
procession#13,589

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "processing" and "procession" be used interchangeably?
No, "processing" and "procession" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering processing vs procession

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 “processing” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list