compression
/kəmˈpɹɛʃ.ən/noun
compression is spelled C-O-M-P-R-E-S-S-I-O-N: 11 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 6.6 times per million words in written English, the 9,313th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, compression means “An increase in density; the act of compressing, or the state of being compressed; compaction” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of compression is compressions.
How many letters and syllables are in compression?
| Letters | 11: C-O-M-P-R-E-S-S-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 6.6 times per million words; the 9,313th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none 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 compression?
Compression appears 6.6 times per million words in written English, the 9,313th 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 compression?
- US /kəmˈpɹɛʃ.ən/
- Australia /kəmˈpɹeʃ.ən/
Compression has 3 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-compression.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with compression?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as compression from its last stressed vowel (/ɛʃən/):
- session
- profession
- aggression
- obsession
- progression
- oppression
- suppression
- concession
- regression
- accession
- hessian
- digression
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 compression
- compressions plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does compression mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An increase in density; the act of compressing, or the state of being compressed; compaction.
- 2
The cycle of an internal combustion engine during which the fuel and air mixture is compressed.
- 3
The process by which data is compressed.
- 4
The electronic process by which any sound's gain is automatically controlled.
- 5
The deviation of a heavenly body from a spherical form.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Compression in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense the act of compressing:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | compression |
| German | Kompression, Komprimierung |
| Portuguese | compressão, compactação |
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 compression come from?
Borrowed from Middle French compression, from Latin compressiō, equivalent to compress + -ion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).