aspersion

noun

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

"aspersion" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“aspersion” 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
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An attack on somebody's reputation or good name, often in the phrase to cast aspersions upon….

Key facts for aspersion
PropertyValue
Headwordaspersion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “aspersion” sits in English frequency

aspersion falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for aspersion is 9 letters long, classified as a noun. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

aspersion doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin aspersiōnem, from aspersiō (“sprinkling”). The correct English form is aspersion, spelled A-S-P-E-R-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An attack on somebody's reputation or good name, often in the phrase to cast aspersions upon….
  2. 2
    A sprinkling, especially of holy water.

Etymology

From Latin aspersiōnem, from aspersiō (“sprinkling”).

This word in other languages

calumnia(Español)Verleumdung(Deutsch)aspersão(Português)

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

How do you spell "aspersion"?
"aspersion" is spelled A-S-P-E-R-S-I-O-N.
What does "aspersion" mean?
As a noun, "aspersion" means: An attack on somebody's reputation or good name, often in the phrase to cast aspersions upon….
What is the origin of the word "aspersion"?
From Latin aspersiōnem, from aspersiō (“sprinkling”). 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 “aspersion”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-S-P-E-R-S-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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