decomposition
/diːˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/
"decomposition" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“decomposition” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,604 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #20,604
- frequency rank, English
- 13
- letters
- 20
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A biological process through which organic material is reduced to e.g. compost.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | decomposition |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /diːˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/ |
| Letters | 13 |
| Frequency rank | #20,604 |
| Misspellings tracked | 20 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “decomposition” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for decomposition is 13 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /diːˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,604 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 decomposition, with forms such as "dceomposition", "ddecomposition", and "deccomposition". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From de- + composition. The correct English form is decomposition, spelled D-E-C-O-M-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1A biological process through which organic material is reduced to e.g. compost.
- 2The act of taking something apart, e.g. for analysis.
- 3The splitting (of e.g. a matrix, an atom, or a compound) into constituent parts.
Etymology
From de- + composition.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: dceomposition,ddecomposition,deccomposition,decmoposition,decommposition,decomopsition,decompoistion,decomposiiton,decomposision,decompositino,decompositionn,decompositoin,decomposittion,decompossition,decompostiion,decompposition,decompsoition,decopmosition,deocmposition,edcomposition
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of decomposition - 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.
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 "decomposition"?
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Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “decomposition”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-C-O-M-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /diːˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.