accretion

/əˈkɹiːʃn̩/

//əˈkɹiːʃn̩// noun

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

"accretion" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“accretion” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,788. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,788
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Increase by natural growth, especially the gradual increase of organic bodies by the internal addition of matter; organic growth; also, the amount of such growth.

Corpus desk

Index EN-accretion · accretion · English

accretion · rank #37,788 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #37,788
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH activator

Nearest frequency peer: activator (+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 “accretion”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “accretion” 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
Key facts for accretion
PropertyValue
Headwordaccretion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈkɹiːʃn̩/
Letters9
Frequency rank#37,788
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “accretion”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).accretionlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “activator” (#37,789), “aeroplanes” (#37,790), “afresh” (#37,793). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “accretion” is #37,788. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around accretion (IPA /əˈkɹiːʃn̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #37,788 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for accretion, with forms such as "accertion", "accreiton", and "accresion". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *h₂éd Learned borrowing from Latin accrētiō (“increase, increment”) + English -ion (suffix forming nouns denoting actions or processes, or their results). Accrētiō is derived from accrēscō (“to grow, increase”) + -tiō (suffix forming nouns denotin… The correct English form is accretion, spelled A-C-C-R-E-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Increase by natural growth, especially the gradual increase of organic bodies by the internal addition of matter; organic growth; also, the amount of such growth.
  2. 2
    (Gradual) increase by an external addition of matter; (countable) an instance of this.
  3. 3
    (Gradual) increase by an external addition of matter; (countable) an instance of this.
  4. 4
    Followed by of: external addition of matter to a thing which causes it to grow, especially in amount or size.
  5. 5
    The process of separate particles aggregating or coalescing together; concretion; (countable) a thing formed in this manner.
  6. 6
    The process of separate particles aggregating or coalescing together; concretion; (countable) a thing formed in this manner.
  7. 7
    Something gradually added to or growing on a thing externally.
  8. 8
    Something gradually added to or growing on a thing externally.
  9. 9
    Increase in property by the addition of other property to it (for example, gain of land by alluvion (“the deposition of sediment by a river or sea”) or dereliction (“recession of water from the usual watermark”), or entitlement to the products of the property such as interest on money); or by the property owner acquiring another person’s ownership rights; accession; (countable) an instance of this.
  10. 10
    Increase of an inheritance to an heir or legatee due to the share of a co-heir or co-legatee being added to it, because the latter person is legally unable to inherit the share.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Warwick was unable to perceive much change in the market-house. […] There might have been a slight accretion of the moss and lichen on the shingled roof.
  2. The immense accretion of flesh which had descended on her in middle life like a flood of lava on a doomed city had changed her from a plump active little woman with a neatly-turned foot and ankle into something as vast and august as a natural phenomenon.

Etymology

PIE word *h₂éd Learned borrowing from Latin accrētiō (“increase, increment”) + English -ion (suffix forming nouns denoting actions or processes, or their results). Accrētiō is derived from accrēscō (“to grow, increase”) + -tiō (suffix forming nouns denoting actions or processes, or their results); and accrēscō is from ac- (a variant of ad-, prefix meaning ‘to’, or having an intensifying effect) + crēscō (“to grow; to increase”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱer- (“to cause to grow; to grow; to nourish”)). Doublet of accrue, crescent, and increase.

This word in other languages

acreción(Español)accrétion(Français)Zunahme(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • accertion
  • accreiton
  • accresion
  • accretino
  • accretionn
  • accretoin
  • accrettion
  • accrretion
  • accrteion
  • acrcetion
  • acretion
  • cacretion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of accretion - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

accertion2accreiton2accresion1accretino2accretionn1accretoin2accrettion1accrretion1
Edit distance from "accretion"

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 "accretion"?
"accretion" is spelled A-C-C-R-E-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈkɹiːʃn̩/.
What does "accretion" mean?
As a noun, "accretion" means: Increase by natural growth, especially the gradual increase of organic bodies by the internal addition of matter; organic growth; also, the amount of such growth.
What are common misspellings of "accretion"?
Common misspellings include "accertion", "accreiton", "accresion", "accretino", "accretionn". The correct spelling is "accretion".
How do you pronounce "accretion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "accretion" is /əˈkɹiːʃn̩/. 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 "accretion"?
PIE word *h₂éd Learned borrowing from Latin accrētiō (“increase, increment”) + English -ion (suffix forming nouns denoting actions or processes, or their results). Accrētiō is derived from accrēscō (“to grow, increase”) + -tiō (suffix forming nou... 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 "accretion", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

activator#37,789Allahabad#37,795appraised#37,800assuredly#37,806

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

woodcock12 variantsAugsburg12 variantswavering12 variantsbackroom12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list