apposition
/ˌæpəˈzɪʃn̩/
"apposition" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“apposition” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A construction in which one noun or noun phrase is placed with another as an explanatory equivalent, both of them having the same syntactic function in the sentence.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | apposition |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌæpəˈzɪʃn̩/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “apposition” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for apposition is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌæpəˈzɪʃn̩/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No misspelling variants are generated for apposition in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English apposicioun, from Middle French apposition, from Latin appositiō, past participle of appōnere (“to put near”). The correct English form is apposition, spelled A-P-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1A construction in which one noun or noun phrase is placed with another as an explanatory equivalent, both of them having the same syntactic function in the sentence.
- 2The relationship between such nouns or noun phrases.
- 3The quality of being side by side, apposed instead of opposed, next to each other.
- 4A placing of two things side by side, or the fitting together of two things.
- 5The growth of successive layers of a cell wall.
- 6Appositio, the addition of an element not syntactically required.
- 7A public disputation by scholars.
- 8A (now purely ceremonial) speech day at St Paul's School, London.
Etymology
From Middle English apposicioun, from Middle French apposition, from Latin appositiō, past participle of appōnere (“to put near”).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “apposition”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-P-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌæpəˈzɪʃn̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.