comparison

/kəmˈpæɹ.ɪ.sən/

//kəmˈpæɹ.ɪ.sən// noun

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

"comparison" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“comparison” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,936. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,936
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of comparing or the state or process of being compared.

Corpus desk

Index EN-comparison · comparison · English

comparison · rank #2,936 · 15 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,936
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH commander

Nearest frequency peer: commander (-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 “comparison”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “comparison” 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).

comparison vs companion
80% similar

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

Key facts for comparison
PropertyValue
Headwordcomparison
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kəmˈpæɹ.ɪ.sən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#2,936
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “comparison”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “commander” (#2,935), “covers” (#2,937), “comedy” (#2,934). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “comparison” is #2,936. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around comparison (IPA /kəmˈpæɹ.ɪ.sən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,936 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for comparison, with forms such as "ccomparison", "cmoparison", and "comaprison". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "companion", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English comparisoun, from Old French comparison, from Latin comparātiō, from comparātus, perfect passive participle of comparō. The correct English form is comparison, spelled C-O-M-P-A-R-I-S-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of comparing or the state or process of being compared.
  2. 2
    An evaluation of the similarities and differences of one or more things relative to some other or each other.
  3. 3
    With a negation, the state of being similar or alike.
  4. 4
    A feature in the morphology or syntax of some languages whereby adjectives and adverbs are inflected to indicate the relative degree of the property they define exhibited by the word or phrase they modify or describe.
  5. 5
    That to which, or with which, a thing is compared, as being equal or like; illustration; similitude.
  6. 6
    A simile.
  7. 7
    The faculty of the reflective group which is supposed to perceive resemblances and contrasts.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. to bring a thing into comparison with another
  2. there is no comparison between them

Etymology

From Middle English comparisoun, from Old French comparison, from Latin comparātiō, from comparātus, perfect passive participle of comparō.

This word in other languages

comparación(Español)comparaison(Français)Vergleich(Deutsch)comparação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccomparison
  • cmoparison
  • comaprison
  • commparison
  • compairson
  • compariosn
  • comparisno
  • comparisonn
  • comparisson
  • comparrison
  • comparsion
  • compparison
  • compraison
  • copmarison
  • ocmparison

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccomparison1cmoparison2comaprison2commparison1compairson2compariosn2comparisno2comparisonn1
Edit distance from "comparison"

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 "comparison"?
"comparison" is spelled C-O-M-P-A-R-I-S-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kəmˈpæɹ.ɪ.sən/.
What does "comparison" mean?
As a noun, "comparison" means: The act of comparing or the state or process of being compared.
What words are commonly confused with "comparison"?
"comparison" is commonly confused with "companion". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "comparison"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "comparison" is /kəmˈpæɹ.ɪ.sən/. 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 "comparison"?
From Middle English comparisoun, from Old French comparison, from Latin comparātiō, from comparātus, perfect passive participle of comparō. 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 "comparison", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

registered#2,910recognized#2,909statements#2,966convention#2,985

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

differences15 variantsretirement15 variantsrecommended15 variantsappointment15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list