adhesion

/ˌædˈhiː.ʒən/

//ˌædˈhiː.ʒən// noun

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

"adhesion" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“adhesion” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #24,077 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#24,077
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The ability of a substance to stick to an unlike substance.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

adhesion vs adhesive
75% similar

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

Key facts for adhesion
PropertyValue
Headwordadhesion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌædˈhiː.ʒən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#24,077
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “adhesion” sits in English 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). adhesion 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 English entry for adhesion is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌædˈhiː.ʒən/. Corpus data places it at rank #24,077 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for adhesion, with forms such as "addhesion", "adehsion", and "adheison". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "adhesive", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French adhésion, from Latin stem of adhaesio, from past participle of adhaerare. The correct English form is adhesion, spelled A-D-H-E-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The ability of a substance to stick to an unlike substance.
  2. 2
    Persistent attachment or loyalty.
  3. 3
    An agreement to adhere.
  4. 4
    An abnormal union of surface by the formation of new tissue resulting from an inflammatory process.
  5. 5
    The binding of a cell to a surface or substrate.
  6. 6
    The frictional grip on a surface, of wheels, shoes etc.

Etymology

From French adhésion, from Latin stem of adhaesio, from past participle of adhaerare.

Antonyms

cohesion

This word in other languages

adhesión(Español)adhésion(Français)Adhäsion(Deutsch)adesão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: addhesion,adehsion,adheison,adhesino,adhesionn,adhesoin,adhession,adhetion,adhhesion,adhseion,ahdesion,dahesion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of adhesion - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

addhesion1adehsion2adheison2adhesino2adhesionn1adhesoin2adhession1adhetion1
Edit distance from "adhesion"

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 "adhesion"?
"adhesion" is spelled A-D-H-E-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌædˈhiː.ʒən/.
What does "adhesion" mean?
As a noun, "adhesion" means: The ability of a substance to stick to an unlike substance.
What words are commonly confused with "adhesion"?
"adhesion" is commonly confused with "adhesive". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "adhesion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "adhesion" is /ˌædˈhiː.ʒən/. 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 "adhesion"?
From French adhésion, from Latin stem of adhaesio, from past participle of adhaerare. 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.

Using “adhesion”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-D-H-E-S-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌædˈhiː.ʒən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “adhesive” - see the side-by-side comparison. adhesion vs adhesive
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English 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