convention

/kənˈvɛn.ʃən/

//kənˈvɛn.ʃən// noun

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

"convention" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“convention” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,985. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,985
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A meeting or gathering.

Corpus desk

Index EN-convention · convention · English

convention · rank #2,985 · 16 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,985
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH contain

Nearest frequency peer: contain (-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 “convention”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “convention” 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).

convention vs conversion
80% similar
convention vs conviction
80% similar
convention vs conventions
91% similar

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

Key facts for convention
PropertyValue
Headwordconvention
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kənˈvɛn.ʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#2,985
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “convention”

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).conventionlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “contain” (#2,984), “dancing” (#2,986), “document” (#2,987). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “convention” is #2,985. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around convention (IPA /kənˈvɛn.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,985 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for convention, with forms such as "cconvention", "cnovention", and "conevntion". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "conversion", "conviction", "conventions", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Recorded since about 1440, borrowed from Middle French convention, from Latin conventiō (“meeting, assembling; agreement, convention”), from conveniō (“come, gather or meet together, assemble”), from con- (“with, together”) + veniō (“come”). Equivalent to c… The correct English form is convention, spelled C-O-N-V-E-N-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A meeting or gathering.
  2. 2
    A formal deliberative assembly of mandated delegates.
  3. 3
    The convening of a formal meeting.
  4. 4
    A formal agreement, contract, rule, or pact.
  5. 5
    A treaty or supplement to such.
  6. 6
    A practice or procedure widely observed in a group, especially to facilitate social interaction; a custom.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The convention was held in Geneva.
  2. The CEF and the legal advocacy groups that have been responsible for its tremendous success over the past ten years are determined to "Knock down all doors, all the barriers, to all 65,000 public elementary schools in America and take the Gospel to this open mission field now! Not later, now!" in the words of a keynote speaker at the CEF's national conven…

Etymology

Recorded since about 1440, borrowed from Middle French convention, from Latin conventiō (“meeting, assembling; agreement, convention”), from conveniō (“come, gather or meet together, assemble”), from con- (“with, together”) + veniō (“come”). Equivalent to convene + -tion.

This word in other languages

convención(Español)convention(Français)Kongress(Deutsch)convenção(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cconvention
  • cnovention
  • conevntion
  • connvention
  • conveniton
  • convenntion
  • convension
  • conventino
  • conventionn
  • conventoin
  • conventtion
  • convetnion
  • convnetion
  • convvention
  • covnention
  • ocnvention

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cconvention1cnovention2conevntion2connvention1conveniton2convenntion1convension1conventino2
Edit distance from "convention"

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 "convention"?
"convention" is spelled C-O-N-V-E-N-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈvɛn.ʃən/.
What does "convention" mean?
As a noun, "convention" means: A meeting or gathering.
What words are commonly confused with "convention"?
"convention" is commonly confused with "conversion", "conviction", "conventions". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "convention"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "convention" is /kənˈvɛn.ʃən/. 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 "convention"?
Recorded since about 1440, borrowed from Middle French convention, from Latin conventiō (“meeting, assembling; agreement, convention”), from conveniō (“come, gather or meet together, assemble”), from con- (“with, together”) + veniō (“come”). Equiv... 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 "convention", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

equivalent#2,992statements#2,966permission#3,015comparison#2,936

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

regulations16 variantsphilosophy16 variantsconsistent16 variantsManchester16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list