composition

/ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/

//ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“composition” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,069. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,069
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of putting together; assembly.

Corpus desk

Index EN-composition · composition · English

composition · rank #4,069 · 17 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,069
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH compensation

Nearest frequency peer: compensation (-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 “composition”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “composition” 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).

composition vs compositional
85% similar
composition vs competition
82% similar

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

Key facts for composition
PropertyValue
Headwordcomposition
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#4,069
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “composition”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).compositionlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “compensation” (#4,068), “computers” (#4,070), “commit” (#4,067). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “composition” is #4,069. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around composition (IPA /ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,069 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 19 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for composition, with forms such as "ccomposition", "cmoposition", and "commposition". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "compositional", "competition", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English composicioun, borrowed from Old French composicion, from Latin compositiō, compositiōnem. The correct English form is composition, spelled C-O-M-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  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
    An agreement or treaty used to settle differences; later especially, an agreement to stop hostilities; a truce.
  7. 7
    A payment of money in order to clear a liability or obligation; a settling or fine.
  8. 8
    A payment of money in order to clear a liability or obligation; a settling or fine.
  9. 9
    an agreement or compromise by which a creditor or group of creditors accepts partial payment from a debtor.
  10. 10
    An essay.
  11. 11
    The formation of compound words from separate words.
  12. 12
    A work of music, literature or art.
  13. 13
    Typesetting.
  14. 14
    Applying a function to the result of another.
  15. 15
    The compounding of two velocities or forces into a single equivalent velocity or force.
  16. 16
    Consistency; accord; congruity.
  17. 17
    Synthesis as opposed to analysis.
  18. 18
    The arrangement and flow of elements in a picture.
  19. 19
    Way to combine simple objects or data types into more complex ones.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Ste. What do'st thou know me for? Kent. A Knave, a Rascall, [...] one that would'st be a Baud in way of good service, and art nothing but the composition of a Kave, Begger, Coward, Pandar, and the Sonne and Heire of a Mungrill Bitch, one whom I will beate in to clamours whining, if thou deny'st the least sillable of thy addition.
  2. The firſt day of November was dedicated to the angel preſiding over fruits, ſeeds, &c. and was therefore named la mas ubhal, that is, the day of the apple fruit, and being pronounced lamasool, the English have corrupted the name to lambswool, a name they give to a compoſition made on this eve of roaſted apples, ſugar, and ale.

Etymology

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

Synonyms

configurationconstitutioncompositeblendmelangemixturearrangementcompositionformmakeupstructure

This word in other languages

composición(Español)composition(Français)Zusammenstellung(Deutsch)composição(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccomposition
  • cmoposition
  • commposition
  • comopsition
  • compoistion
  • composiiton
  • composision
  • compositino
  • compositionn
  • compositoin
  • composittion
  • compossition
  • compostiion
  • compposition
  • compsoition
  • copmosition
  • ocmposition

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of composition - 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.

ccomposition1cmoposition2commposition1comopsition2compoistion2composiiton2composision1compositino2
Edit distance from "composition"

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 "composition"?
"composition" is spelled C-O-M-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/.
What does "composition" mean?
As a noun, "composition" means: The act of putting together; assembly.
What words are commonly confused with "composition"?
"composition" is commonly confused with "compositional", "competition". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "composition"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "composition" is /ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/. 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 "composition"?
From Middle English composicioun, borrowed from Old French composicion, from Latin compositiō, compositiōnem. 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 "composition", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

fundamental#4,087progressive#4,039photographs#4,036residential#4,115

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

substantial17 variantscommonwealth17 variantspreparation17 variantsunderground17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list