deposition

/ˌdɛp.əˈzɪʃ.ən/

//ˌdɛp.əˈzɪʃ.ən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“deposition” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,736 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#14,736
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The removal of someone from office.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

deposition vs disposition
82% similar
deposition vs demolition
80% similar
deposition vs depositing
80% similar

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

Key facts for deposition
PropertyValue
Headworddeposition
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌdɛp.əˈzɪʃ.ən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#14,736
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “deposition” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). deposition lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for deposition is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌdɛp.əˈzɪʃ.ən/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,736 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for deposition, with forms such as "ddeposition", "deopsition", and "depoistion". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "disposition", "demolition", "depositing", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English deposicion, from Old French deposicion (French déposition), from Latin depositio. The correct English form is deposition, spelled D-E-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The removal of someone from office.
  2. 2
    The act of depositing material, especially by a natural process; the resultant deposit.
  3. 3
    The production of a thin film of material onto an existing surface.
  4. 4
    The process of taking sworn testimony out of court; the testimony so taken.
  5. 5
    The formation of snow or frost directly from water vapor.
  6. 6
    The transformation of a gas into a solid without an intermediate liquid phase (reverse of sublimation)
  7. 7
    The formal placement of relics in a church or shrine, and the feast day commemorating it.

Etymology

From Middle English deposicion, from Old French deposicion (French déposition), from Latin depositio.

Synonyms

desublimation

Antonyms

erosioncorrosionsublimation

This word in other languages

deposición(Español)destitution(Français)Entlassung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddeposition,deopsition,depoistion,deposiiton,deposision,depositino,depositionn,depositoin,deposittion,depossition,depostiion,depposition,depsoition,dpeosition,edposition

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of deposition - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ddeposition1deopsition2depoistion2deposiiton2deposision1depositino2depositionn1depositoin2
Edit distance from "deposition"

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 "deposition"?
"deposition" is spelled D-E-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌdɛp.əˈzɪʃ.ən/.
What does "deposition" mean?
As a noun, "deposition" means: The removal of someone from office.
What words are commonly confused with "deposition"?
"deposition" is commonly confused with "disposition", "demolition", "depositing". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "deposition"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deposition" is /ˌdɛp.əˈzɪʃ.ən/. 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 "deposition"?
From Middle English deposicion, from Old French deposicion (French déposition), from Latin depositio. 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.

Using “deposition”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌdɛp.əˈzɪʃ.ən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “disposition” - see the side-by-side comparison. deposition vs disposition
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list