dormition

/dɔːˈmɪʃ(ə)n/

//dɔːˈmɪʃ(ə)n// noun

"dormition" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dormition” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The process of falling asleep.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dormition · dormition · English

dormition · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "D" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for dormition
PropertyValue
Headworddormition
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɔːˈmɪʃ(ə)n/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “dormition” in English

dormitionranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

dormition is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /dɔːˈmɪʃ(ə)n/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for dormition in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French dormition, from Latin dormītiōnem. The correct English form is dormition, spelled D-O-R-M-I-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The process of falling asleep.
  2. 2
    The process of death or the actual death itself.
  3. 3
    The death and assumption into heaven of the Virgin Mary.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The Virgin had allegedly given away her robe just before her death – what is in Eastern tradition called her Dormition, or falling asleep.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French dormition, from Latin dormītiōnem.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "dormition"?
"dormition" is spelled D-O-R-M-I-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɔːˈmɪʃ(ə)n/.
What does "dormition" mean?
As a noun, "dormition" means: The process of falling asleep.
How do you pronounce "dormition"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dormition" is /dɔːˈmɪʃ(ə)n/. 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 "dormition"?
Borrowed from Middle French dormition, from Latin dormītiōnem. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list