allusion

/əˈlu.ʒən/

//əˈlu.ʒən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“allusion” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #31,054 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#31,054
frequency rank, English
8
letters
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An indirect reference; a hint; a reference to something supposed to be known, but not explicitly mentioned.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

allusion vs Allison
63% similar

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

Key facts for allusion
PropertyValue
Headwordallusion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈlu.ʒən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#31,054
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “allusion” 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). allusion 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 allusion is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈlu.ʒən/. Corpus data places it at rank #31,054 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "An indirect reference; a hint; a reference to something supposed to be known, but not explicitly mentioned.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for allusion, with forms such as "allsuion", "alluison", and "allusino". 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, "Allison", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin allūsiōnem, accusative singular of allūsiō (“the act of playing with”), from allūdō (“play with; allude”), from al-, combining form of ad (“to”), + lūdō (“play”): compare French allusion. The correct English form is allusion, spelled A-L-L-U-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An indirect reference; a hint; a reference to something supposed to be known, but not explicitly mentioned.

Etymology

From Latin allūsiōnem, accusative singular of allūsiō (“the act of playing with”), from allūdō (“play with; allude”), from al-, combining form of ad (“to”), + lūdō (“play”): compare French allusion.

This word in other languages

alusión(Español)allusion(Français)Anspielung(Deutsch)alusão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: allsuion,alluison,allusino,allusionn,allusoin,allussion,allution,alulsion,alusion,lalusion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of allusion - 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.

allsuion2alluison2allusino2allusionn1allusoin2allussion1allution1alulsion2
Edit distance from "allusion"

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 "allusion"?
"allusion" is spelled A-L-L-U-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈlu.ʒən/.
What does "allusion" mean?
As a noun, "allusion" means: An indirect reference; a hint; a reference to something supposed to be known, but not explicitly mentioned.
What words are commonly confused with "allusion"?
"allusion" is commonly confused with "Allison". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "allusion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "allusion" is /əˈlu.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 "allusion"?
From Latin allūsiōnem, accusative singular of allūsiō (“the act of playing with”), from allūdō (“play with; allude”), from al-, combining form of ad (“to”), + lūdō (“play”): compare French allusion. 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 “allusion”

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

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