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PlainSpell

composition

/ˌkɑm.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/noun

composition is spelled C-O-M-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N: 11 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 21 times per million words in written English, the 4,076th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, composition means “The act of putting together; assembly” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of composition is compositions.

How many letters and syllables are in composition?

Letters11: C-O-M-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N
Syllables4 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing21 times per million words; the 4,076th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is composition?

Composition appears 21 times per million words in written English, the 4,076th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce composition?

  • UK /ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/
  • US /ˌkɑm.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/
  • Canada /ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/

Composition has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-composition.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with composition?

The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as composition from its last stressed vowel (/ɪʃən/):

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of composition

  • compositions plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does composition mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    The act of putting together; assembly.

  2. 2

    A mixture or compound; the result of composing.

  3. 3

    The proportion of different parts to make a whole.

  4. 4

    The general makeup of a thing or person.

  5. 5

    A puzzle created by the composer using chess pieces on a chessboard, which presents the solver with a particular task.

  6. 6

    obsoleteAn agreement or treaty used to settle differences; later especially, an agreement to stop hostilities; a truce.

  7. 7

    obsoleteA payment of money in order to clear a liability or obligation; a settling or fine.

  8. 8

    obsoleteA payment of fine in order to settle a (usually minor) criminal charge.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Composition in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchcomposition (proportion of different parts to make a whole), œuvre (work of music, literature or art)
GermanZusammenstellung (proportion of different parts to make a whole), Zusammensetzung (general makeup of something), Komposition (linguistics: formation of compound words from…)
Portuguesecomposição (proportion of different parts to make a whole)
Spanishcomposición (general makeup of something)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does composition come from?

From Middle English composicioun, borrowed from Old French composicion, from Latin compositiō, compositiōnem.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after composition