attrition

/əˈtɹɪʃən/

//əˈtɹɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“attrition” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,463. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,463
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Grinding down or wearing away by friction.

Corpus desk

Index EN-attrition · attrition · English

attrition · rank #23,463 · 12 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,463
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH attested

Nearest frequency peer: attested (-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 “attrition”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “attrition” 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).

attrition vs attention
78% similar
attrition vs attraction
80% similar
attrition vs attribution
82% similar

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

Key facts for attrition
PropertyValue
Headwordattrition
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈtɹɪʃən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#23,463
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “attrition”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).attritionlands 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 “attested” (#23,462), “aud” (#23,464), “aunty” (#23,465). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “attrition” is #23,463. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around attrition (IPA /əˈtɹɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,463 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for attrition, with forms such as "atrition", "atrtition", and "attirtion". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "attention", "attraction", "attribution", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: 15th century, from Middle English attricion, attricioun, from Middle French attricion, attrition and its etymon, Latin attrītiō (“a rubbing against”), from the verb attrītus, past participle of atterō (“to wear”), from ad- (“to, towards”) + terō (“to rub”).… The correct English form is attrition, spelled A-T-T-R-I-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Grinding down or wearing away by friction.
  2. 2
    Grinding down or wearing away by friction.
  3. 3
    A gradual reduction in number.
  4. 4
    A gradual reduction in number.
  5. 5
    A gradual reduction in number.
  6. 6
    A gradual reduction in number.
  7. 7
    Imperfect contrition or remorse.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Recent years have seen […] more and more blatant reversals of previous Supreme Court decisions in favor of the constitutional rights of minorities. These increasingly conservative decisions, and constant attrition of individuals' rights, have directly paralleled the alarming increase of convictions in our courts.

Etymology

15th century, from Middle English attricion, attricioun, from Middle French attricion, attrition and its etymon, Latin attrītiō (“a rubbing against”), from the verb attrītus, past participle of atterō (“to wear”), from ad- (“to, towards”) + terō (“to rub”). By surface analysis, attrit + -ion.

This word in other languages

abrasión(Español)usure(Français)Verschleiß(Deutsch)atrito(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atrition
  • atrtition
  • attirtion
  • attriiton
  • attrision
  • attritino
  • attritionn
  • attritoin
  • attrittion
  • attrrition
  • attrtiion
  • tatrition

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

atrition1atrtition2attirtion2attriiton2attrision1attritino2attritionn1attritoin2
Edit distance from "attrition"

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 "attrition"?
"attrition" is spelled A-T-T-R-I-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈtɹɪʃən/.
What does "attrition" mean?
As a noun, "attrition" means: Grinding down or wearing away by friction.
What words are commonly confused with "attrition"?
"attrition" is commonly confused with "attention", "attraction", "attribution". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "attrition"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "attrition" is /əˈtɹɪʃən/. 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 "attrition"?
15th century, from Middle English attricion, attricioun, from Middle French attricion, attrition and its etymon, Latin attrītiō (“a rubbing against”), from the verb attrītus, past participle of atterō (“to wear”), from ad- (“to, towards”) + terō (... 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 "attrition", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

autopilot#23,466blackjack#23,475bluegrass#23,477budgetary#23,482

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

alderman12 variantsunspoken12 variantsunsigned12 variantsepiphany12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list