absolution

/æb.səˈljuː.ʃn̩/

//æb.səˈljuː.ʃn̩// noun

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

"absolution" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“absolution” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,764. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,764
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An absolving of sins from ecclesiastical penalties by an authority.

Corpus desk

Index EN-absolution · absolution · English

absolution · rank #34,764 · 15 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #34,764
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH abominable

Nearest frequency peer: abominable (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “absolution”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “absolution” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

absolution vs absorption
80% similar
absolution vs abolition
80% similar

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

Key facts for absolution
PropertyValue
Headwordabsolution
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/æb.səˈljuː.ʃn̩/
Letters10
Frequency rank#34,764
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “absolution”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).absolutionlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “abominable” (#34,763), “Aas” (#34,762), “adequacy” (#34,766). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “absolution” is #34,764. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around absolution (IPA /æb.səˈljuː.ʃn̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,764 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for absolution, with forms such as "abbsolution", "aboslution", and "absloution". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "absorption", "abolition", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English absolucion, absolucioun, from Old French absolution, from Latin absolūtiōnem, accusative singular of absolūtiō (“acquittal”), from absolvō (“absolve”). See also absolve. The correct English form is absolution, spelled A-B-S-O-L-U-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An absolving of sins from ecclesiastical penalties by an authority.
  2. 2
    The forgiveness of sins, in a general sense.
  3. 3
    The form of words by which a penitent is absolved.
  4. 4
    An absolving, or setting free from guilt, sin, or penalty; forgiveness of an offense.
  5. 5
    An acquittal, or sentence of a judge declaring an accused person innocent.
  6. 6
    Delivery, in speech.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how absolution appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Governments granting absolution to the nation.
  2. The true aim of medicine is not to make men virtuous; it is to safeguard and rescue them from the consequences of their vices. The physician does not preach repentance; he offers absolution.

Etymology

From Middle English absolucion, absolucioun, from Old French absolution, from Latin absolūtiōnem, accusative singular of absolūtiō (“acquittal”), from absolvō (“absolve”). See also absolve.

This word in other languages

absolución(Español)Absolution(Deutsch)absolvição(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • abbsolution
  • aboslution
  • absloution
  • absollution
  • absoltuion
  • absoluiton
  • absolusion
  • absolutino
  • absolutionn
  • absolutoin
  • absoluttion
  • absoultion
  • abssolution
  • asbolution
  • basolution

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of absolution - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

abbsolution1aboslution2absloution2absollution1absoltuion2absoluiton2absolusion1absolutino2
Edit distance from "absolution"

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "absolution"?
"absolution" is spelled A-B-S-O-L-U-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /æb.səˈljuː.ʃn̩/.
What does "absolution" mean?
As a noun, "absolution" means: An absolving of sins from ecclesiastical penalties by an authority.
What words are commonly confused with "absolution"?
"absolution" is commonly confused with "absorption", "abolition". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "absolution"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "absolution" is /æb.səˈljuː.ʃn̩/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "absolution"?
From Middle English absolucion, absolucioun, from Old French absolution, from Latin absolūtiōnem, accusative singular of absolūtiō (“acquittal”), from absolvō (“absolve”). See also absolve. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "absolution", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

abominable#34,763Zimbabwean#34,760ambulatory#34,774wholesaler#34,748

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

whiteboard15 variantsunfiltered15 variantsburdensome15 variantsStockport15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list