Allison

Name: Allison, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈælɪsən/

//ˈælɪsən// name

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“Allison” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,846 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#9,846
frequency rank, English: 7
letters: 7
tracked misspellings: 4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A surname originating as a patronymic.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Allison vs allusion

63% similar

Allison vs Alison

86% similar

Allison vs Albion

71% similar

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

Key facts for Allison
Property	Value
Headword	Allison
Language	English
Part of speech	Proper noun
IPA	/ˈælɪsən/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#9,846
Misspellings tracked	7
Confusable pairs	4
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Allison” 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). Allison lands here:

#9,846

#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 Allison is 7 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈælɪsən/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,846 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Allison, with forms such as "alilson", "alliosn", and "allisno". 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 also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "allusion", "Alison", "Albion", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From a Middle English diminutive form of Alan, Alexander or Alice + -son. The correct English form is Allison, spelled A-L-L-I-S-O-N.

Definition

1
A surname originating as a patronymic.
2
A male given name transferred from the surname, of mostly before 1950 usage.
3
A female given name from the Germanic languages, of 1940s and later usage, variant of Alison.
4
A community in Moncton Parish, Westmorland County, New Brunswick, Canada.
5
A number of places in the United States:
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A number of places in the United States:
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A number of places in the United States:
8
A number of places in the United States:
9
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Etymology

From a Middle English diminutive form of Alan, Alexander or Alice + -son.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: alilson,alliosn,allisno,allisonn,allisson,allsion,lalison

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "Allison"

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 "Allison"?

"Allison" is spelled A-L-L-I-S-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈælɪsən/.

What does "Allison" mean?

As a proper noun, "Allison" means: A surname originating as a patronymic.

What words are commonly confused with "Allison"?

"Allison" is commonly confused with "allusion", "Alison", "Albion". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "Allison"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Allison" is /ˈælɪsən/. 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 "Allison"?

From a Middle English diminutive form of Alan, Alexander or Alice + -son. 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 “Allison”

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

The one correct English spelling is A-L-L-I-S-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈælɪsən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “allusion” - see the side-by-side comparison. Allison vs allusion
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.