diversion
/dɪˈvɝʒən/
"diversion" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“diversion” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,744 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #14,744
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 14
- tracked misspellings
- 5
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A tactic used to draw attention away from the real threat or action.
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 | diversion |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /dɪˈvɝʒən/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #14,744 |
| Misspellings tracked | 14 |
| Confusable pairs | 5 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “diversion” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for diversion is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈvɝʒən/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,744 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 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for diversion, with forms such as "ddiversion", "dievrsion", and "diverison". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "division", "diversity", "dimension", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English diversion, dyversioun, from Medieval Latin diversiō, from Latin divertō (“to divert”); see divert. The correct English form is diversion, spelled D-I-V-E-R-S-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1A tactic used to draw attention away from the real threat or action.
- 2A hobby; an activity that distracts the mind.
- 3The act of diverting.
- 4Removal of water via a canal.
- 5A detour, such as during road construction.
- 6The rerouting of cargo or passengers to a new transshipment point or destination, or to a different mode of transportation before arrival at the ultimate destination.
- 7Officially halting or suspending a formal criminal or juvenile justice proceeding and referral of the accused person to a treatment or care program.
Etymology
From Middle English diversion, dyversioun, from Medieval Latin diversiō, from Latin divertō (“to divert”); see divert.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ddiversion,dievrsion,diverison,diverrsion,diversino,diversionn,diversoin,diverssion,divertion,divesrion,divresion,divversion,dviersion,idversion
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of diversion - 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 "diversion"?
What does "diversion" mean?
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Using “diversion”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-I-V-E-R-S-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /dɪˈvɝʒən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “division” - see the side-by-side comparison. diversion vs division
- 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.