congestion
/kənˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃən/noun
congestion is spelled C-O-N-G-E-S-T-I-O-N: 10 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 4.6 times per million words in written English, the 11,870th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, congestion means “An accumulation or buildup, the act of gathering into a heap or mass” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of congestion is congestions.
How many letters and syllables are in congestion?
| Letters | 10: C-O-N-G-E-S-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.6 times per million words; the 11,870th 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 congestion?
Congestion appears 4.6 times per million words in written English, the 11,870th 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 congestion?
- US /kənˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃən/
- US /-ˈd͡ʒɛʃ.d͡ʒən/
- /kʊnˈd͡ʒɛʃ.d͡ʒən/
Congestion 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-congestion.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with congestion?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as congestion from its last stressed vowel (/ɛstʃən/):
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 congestion
- congestions plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does congestion mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An accumulation or buildup, the act of gathering into a heap or mass.
network congestion
- 2
Blocking up of the capillary and other blood vessels, etc., in any locality or organ (often producing other morbid symptoms); local hypermic, active or passive.
arterial congestion
- 3
An excess of traffic; usually not a complete standstill of traffic, so usually not synonymous with traffic jam.
traffic congestion
- 4
An excess of mucus or fluid in the respiratory system; congestion of the lungs, or nasal congestion.
- 5
Edema, water retention, swelling, enlargement of a body part because of fluid retention in tissues and vessels.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Congestion in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | congestión , atasco |
| French | embouteillage, bouchon |
| German | stockender Verkehr, leichter Stau, leichter Verkehrsstau |
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 congestion come from?
From late Middle English congestioun, from Old French [Term?], from Latin congestĭō (“heap, accumulation”), from congerō (“to bring together, accumulate, heap up”), formed by the root gerō (“to carry”) and the prefix con-.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).