comprehension

/ˌkɒmpɹɪˈhɛnʃn̩/

//ˌkɒmpɹɪˈhɛnʃn̩// noun

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

"comprehension" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“comprehension” has 21 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,488. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,488
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
21
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A thorough understanding.

Corpus desk

Index EN-comprehension · comprehension · English

comprehension · rank #13,488 · 21 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #13,488
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 21 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH combustion

Nearest frequency peer: combustion (-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 “comprehension”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “comprehension” 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).

comprehension vs comprehensive
85% similar

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

Key facts for comprehension
PropertyValue
Headwordcomprehension
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌkɒmpɹɪˈhɛnʃn̩/
Letters13
Frequency rank#13,488
Misspellings tracked21
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “comprehension”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).comprehensionlands 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 “combustion” (#13,487), “concession” (#13,489), “colt” (#13,486). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “comprehension” is #13,488. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 21 spelling variants around comprehension (IPA /ˌkɒmpɹɪˈhɛnʃn̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #13,488 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 21 likely wrong-spelling variants for comprehension, with forms such as "ccomprehension", "cmoprehension", and "commprehension". 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, "comprehensive", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French compréhension, from Latin comprehensiō (“taking together”), from com- (“with, together”) + prehendō (“take”). The correct English form is comprehension, spelled C-O-M-P-R-E-H-E-N-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A thorough understanding.
  2. 2
    The totality of intensions, that is, attributes, characters, marks, properties, or qualities, that the object possesses, or else the totality of intensions that are pertinent to the context of a given discussion.
  3. 3
    A compact syntax for generating a collection in some programming languages, traditionally lists in functional programming languages.
  4. 4
    The inclusion of nonconformists within the Church of England.
  5. 5
    Reading comprehension.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Students will be tested on their comprehension of sentences in the foreign language.
  2. What appeal to him are the broad visions, the specious comprehension of the social order as a whole which a planned system promises.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French compréhension, from Latin comprehensiō (“taking together”), from com- (“with, together”) + prehendō (“take”).

Synonyms

understanding

This word in other languages

comprensión(Español)compréhension(Français)Verständnis(Deutsch)compreensão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccomprehension
  • cmoprehension
  • commprehension
  • comperhension
  • compprehension
  • compreehnsion
  • comprehenison
  • comprehennsion
  • comprehensino
  • comprehensionn
  • comprehensoin
  • comprehenssion
  • comprehention
  • comprehesnion
  • comprehhension
  • comprehnesion
  • comprheension
  • comprrehension
  • comrpehension
  • copmrehension
  • ocmprehension

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccomprehension1cmoprehension2commprehension1comperhension2compprehension1compreehnsion2comprehenison2comprehennsion1
Edit distance from "comprehension"

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 "comprehension"?
"comprehension" is spelled C-O-M-P-R-E-H-E-N-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkɒmpɹɪˈhɛnʃn̩/.
What does "comprehension" mean?
As a noun, "comprehension" means: A thorough understanding.
What words are commonly confused with "comprehension"?
"comprehension" is commonly confused with "comprehensive". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "comprehension"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "comprehension" is /ˌkɒmpɹɪˈhɛnʃn̩/. 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 "comprehension"?
Borrowed from Middle French compréhension, from Latin comprehensiō (“taking together”), from com- (“with, together”) + prehendō (“take”). 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 "comprehension", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

heartbreaking#13,528complementary#13,688interrogation#13,738multinational#13,765

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (21 here; floor ≥5).

interestingly21 variantsknowledgeable21 variantssystematically21 variantsdisrespectful21 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list