competition

/ˌkɒm.pəˈtɪʃ.ən/

//ˌkɒm.pəˈtɪʃ.ən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“competition” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,300 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,300
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The action of competing.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

competition vs competitor
82% similar
competition vs competitive
82% similar
competition vs composition
82% similar

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

Key facts for competition
PropertyValue
Headwordcompetition
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌkɒm.pəˈtɪʃ.ən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#1,300
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “competition” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for competition is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌkɒm.pəˈtɪʃ.ən/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,300 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for competition, with forms such as "ccompetition", "cmopetition", and "comeptition". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "competitor", "competitive", "composition", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French compétition, from Late Latin competītiō, competītiōnem, from Latin competō, from con- + petō. By surface analysis, compete + -ition. The correct English form is competition, spelled C-O-M-P-E-T-I-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The action of competing.
  2. 2
    A contest for a prize or award.
  3. 3
    The competitors in such a contest.

Etymology

Borrowed from French compétition, from Late Latin competītiō, competītiōnem, from Latin competō, from con- + petō. By surface analysis, compete + -ition.

Antonyms

cooperation

This word in other languages

competición(Español)compétition(Français)Konkurrenz(Deutsch)competição(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccompetition,cmopetition,comeptition,commpetition,compeittion,competiiton,competision,competitino,competitionn,competitoin,competittion,compettiion,compettition,comppetition,compteition,copmetition,ocmpetition

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of competition - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccompetition1cmopetition2comeptition2commpetition1compeittion2competiiton2competision1competitino2
Edit distance from "competition"

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 "competition"?
"competition" is spelled C-O-M-P-E-T-I-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkɒm.pəˈtɪʃ.ən/.
What does "competition" mean?
As a noun, "competition" means: The action of competing.
What words are commonly confused with "competition"?
"competition" is commonly confused with "competitor", "competitive", "composition". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "competition"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "competition" is /ˌkɒm.pəˈtɪʃ.ən/. 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 "competition"?
Borrowed from French compétition, from Late Latin competītiō, competītiōnem, from Latin competō, from con- + petō. By surface analysis, compete + -ition. 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 “competition”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-M-P-E-T-I-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌkɒm.pəˈtɪʃ.ən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “competitor” - see the side-by-side comparison. competition vs competitor
  • 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