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” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,054. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,054
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An indirect reference; a hint; a reference to something supposed to be known, but not explicitly mentioned.

Corpus desk

Index EN-allusion · allusion · English

allusion · rank #31,054 · 10 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #31,054
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH alkali

Nearest frequency peer: alkali (-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 “allusion”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “allusion” 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).

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)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “allusion”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).allusionlands 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 “alkali” (#31,053), “Almeida” (#31,055), “Albright” (#31,052). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “allusion” is #31,054. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around allusion (IPA /əˈlu.ʒən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #31,054 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Dominant gloss: "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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I remember, before the Dwarf left the Queen, he followed us one day into thoſe gardens, and my Nurſe having ſet me down, he and I being cloſe together, near ſome Dwarf Apple trees, I muſt need ſhew my Wit, by a ſilly Alluſion between him and the Trees, which happens to hold in their Language as it doth in ours.
  2. We draw the conclusion then, that the very reason why the multitude, or the world, as they were designated by the Savior, did not receive an explanation upon his parables, was, because of unbelief. To you, he says, (speaking to his disciples) it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: and why? because of the faith and confidence which they h…

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Albright#31,052altruism#31,056ambience#31,057Adrienne#31,047

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

Andover10 variantsbutthole10 variantscensure10 variantsTaunton10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list