benediction

/ˌbɛnəˈdɪkʃən/

//ˌbɛnəˈdɪkʃən// noun

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

"benediction" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“benediction” is uncommon English (frequency #53,399 among 4,121 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,399
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A short invocation for help, blessing and guidance from God, said on behalf of another person or persons (sometimes at the end of a church worship service).

Corpus desk

Index EN-benediction · benediction · English

benediction · rank #53,399 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,399
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH Belton

Nearest frequency peer: Belton (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “benediction”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “benediction” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for benediction
PropertyValue
Headwordbenediction
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌbɛnəˈdɪkʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#53,399
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “benediction” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).benedictionfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Belton” (#53,398), “betrothal” (#53,400), “belittled” (#53,397). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “benediction” is #53,399. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

benediction is uncommon English at frequency #53,399 among 4,121 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌbɛnəˈdɪkʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

benediction doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English benediccion, from Ecclesiastical Latin benedictio, benedictionis, from benedictus (“blessed; well spoken of”). Doublet of benison. The correct English form is benediction, spelled B-E-N-E-D-I-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A short invocation for help, blessing and guidance from God, said on behalf of another person or persons (sometimes at the end of a church worship service).
  2. 2
    In the Anglican church, the ceremony used to institute an abbot, analogous to the consecration of a bishop.
  3. 3
    A Roman Catholic rite by which bells, banners, candles, etc., are blessed with holy water and formally dedicated to God.
  4. 4
    Help, good fortune or reward from God or another supernatural source.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. to pronounce / give / say the benediction
  2. the nuptial benediction

Etymology

From Middle English benediccion, from Ecclesiastical Latin benedictio, benedictionis, from benedictus (“blessed; well spoken of”). Doublet of benison.

Antonyms

malediction

This word in other languages

bénédiction(Français)bênção(Português)

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 "benediction"?
"benediction" is spelled B-E-N-E-D-I-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌbɛnəˈdɪkʃən/.
What does "benediction" mean?
As a noun, "benediction" means: A short invocation for help, blessing and guidance from God, said on behalf of another person or persons (sometimes at the end of a church worship service).
How do you pronounce "benediction"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "benediction" is /ˌbɛnəˈdɪkʃən/. 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 "benediction"?
From Middle English benediccion, from Ecclesiastical Latin benedictio, benedictionis, from benedictus (“blessed; well spoken of”). Doublet of benison. 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 "benediction", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

breastplate#53,414conductance#53,456creationist#53,470thunderclap#53,301

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list