constriction
/kənˈstɹɪk.ʃən/
"constriction" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“constriction” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #48,674 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #48,674
- frequency rank, English
- 12
- letters
- 20
- tracked misspellings
- 4
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of constricting, the state of being constricted, or something that constricts.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | constriction |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /kənˈstɹɪk.ʃən/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Frequency rank | #48,674 |
| Misspellings tracked | 20 |
| Confusable pairs | 4 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “constriction” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for constriction is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kənˈstɹɪk.ʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #48,674 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for constriction, with forms such as "cconstriction", "cnostriction", and "connstriction". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "contrition", "contraction", "construction", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Late Latin constrictio, constrictionis, from Latin constringo. The correct English form is constriction, spelled C-O-N-S-T-R-I-C-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1The act of constricting, the state of being constricted, or something that constricts.
- 2A narrow part of something; a stricture.
- 3A compression.
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin constrictio, constrictionis, from Latin constringo.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: cconstriction,cnostriction,connstriction,consrtiction,consstriction,constirction,constrcition,constricction,constriciton,constricsion,constrictino,constrictionn,constrictoin,constricttion,constritcion,constrriction,consttriction,contsriction,cosntriction,ocnstriction
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of constriction - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "constriction"?
What does "constriction" mean?
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Using “constriction”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-N-S-T-R-I-C-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /kənˈstɹɪk.ʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “contrition” - see the side-by-side comparison. constriction vs contrition
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.