commotion

/kəˈməʊ.ʃən/

//kəˈməʊ.ʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“commotion” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,413. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,413
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A state of turbulent motion.

Corpus desk

Index EN-commotion · commotion · English

commotion · rank #24,413 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #24,413
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Colchester

Nearest frequency peer: Colchester (-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 “commotion”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “commotion” 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).

commotion vs communion
78% similar

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

Key facts for commotion
PropertyValue
Headwordcommotion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kəˈməʊ.ʃən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#24,413
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “commotion”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Colchester” (#24,412), “Coates” (#24,411), “completeness” (#24,415). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “commotion” is #24,413. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around commotion (IPA /kəˈməʊ.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #24,413 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for commotion, with forms such as "ccommotion", "cmomotion", and "commoiton". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "communion", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French commocion, from Latin commōtiōnem, accusative singular of commōtiō, from commoveō + -tiō. The correct English form is commotion, spelled C-O-M-M-O-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A state of turbulent motion.
  2. 2
    An agitated disturbance or a hubbub.
  3. 3
    Sexual excitement.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It would seem as if calm were necessary to convulsion; for the tranquillity of the last few months was again to be disturbed by political commotion.
  2. When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him.

Etymology

From Middle French commocion, from Latin commōtiōnem, accusative singular of commōtiō, from commoveō + -tiō.

Synonyms

adoargy-bargybangarangbobberybrouhahabunfightbustlebust-upchaosfermentclamourclattercommotiondisruptiondisturbanceflapfoofarawfracasfurorfusshobbleshawhoo-hahoo-hahhubbubhullabaloohurly-burlykerfufflemayhemmerry helloutcrypalaverpandemoniumpotherquarrelriotrowdydowruckusrumpusshemozzleshindysplatterdashstirstooshiethree-ring circusto-dotomfoolerytroubletumultturmoilunrestuproarupstir

This word in other languages

conmoción(Español)Aufregung(Deutsch)comoção(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccommotion
  • cmomotion
  • commoiton
  • commosion
  • commotino
  • commotionn
  • commotoin
  • commottion
  • commtoion
  • comomtion
  • comotion
  • ocmmotion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccommotion1cmomotion2commoiton2commosion1commotino2commotionn1commotoin2commottion1
Edit distance from "commotion"

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 "commotion"?
"commotion" is spelled C-O-M-M-O-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kəˈməʊ.ʃən/.
What does "commotion" mean?
As a noun, "commotion" means: A state of turbulent motion.
What words are commonly confused with "commotion"?
"commotion" is commonly confused with "communion". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "commotion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "commotion" is /kəˈməʊ.ʃən/. 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 "commotion"?
From Middle French commocion, from Latin commōtiōnem, accusative singular of commōtiō, from commoveō + -tiō. 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 "commotion", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

concierge#24,416debatable#24,422blacklist#24,393betraying#24,390

Similar misspelling depth

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

chipotle12 variantsdarkened12 variantsdevolved12 variantsburdened12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list