erection

/ɪˈɹɛkʃən/

//ɪˈɹɛkʃən// noun

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

"erection" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“erection” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,525. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,525
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of building or putting up or together of something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-erection · erection · English

erection · rank #14,525 · 12 variants · 10 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,525
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 10 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH erect

Nearest frequency peer: erect (-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 “erection”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “erection” 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).

erection vs eruption
75% similar
erection vs eviction
75% similar
erection vs exertion
75% similar

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

Key facts for erection
PropertyValue
Headworderection
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪˈɹɛkʃən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#14,525
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “erection”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “erect” (#14,524), “eruption” (#14,526), “enrichment” (#14,523). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “erection” is #14,525. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around erection (IPA /ɪˈɹɛkʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #14,525 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for erection, with forms such as "eerction", "ercetion", and "erecction". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "eruption", "eviction", "exertion", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin ērectiō, ērectiōnis, noun of action from perfect passive participle ērectus, from verb erigō, from prefix ē- (“out of”) + regō, + action suffix -iō. The correct English form is erection, spelled E-R-E-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of building or putting up or together of something.
  2. 2
    Anything erected or built.
  3. 3
    Formal approval and official establishment of an institution such as a society or a monastery by higher church authorities.
  4. 4
    The physiological process by which erectile tissue, such as a penis or clitoris, becomes erect by being engorged with blood.
  5. 5
    The state or quality of being erect from engorgement with blood.
  6. 6
    A penis or clitoris that is erect.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The Empire State Building was once the world's tallest erection.
  2. If any serious number of deck erections have been left unfaired, these percentages will be too low.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ērectiō, ērectiōnis, noun of action from perfect passive participle ērectus, from verb erigō, from prefix ē- (“out of”) + regō, + action suffix -iō.

Synonyms

erectionlead in one's penciltentigotumescence

This word in other languages

erección(Español)érection(Français)Errichtung(Deutsch)ereção(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eerction
  • ercetion
  • erecction
  • ereciton
  • erecsion
  • erectino
  • erectionn
  • erectoin
  • erecttion
  • eretcion
  • errection
  • reection

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eerction2ercetion2erecction1ereciton2erecsion1erectino2erectionn1erectoin2
Edit distance from "erection"

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 "erection"?
"erection" is spelled E-R-E-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈɹɛkʃən/.
What does "erection" mean?
As a noun, "erection" means: The act of building or putting up or together of something.
What words are commonly confused with "erection"?
"erection" is commonly confused with "eruption", "eviction", "exertion". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "erection"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "erection" is /ɪˈɹɛkʃən/. 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 "erection"?
Borrowed from Latin ērectiō, ērectiōnis, noun of action from perfect passive participle ērectus, from verb erigō, from prefix ē- (“out of”) + regō, + action suffix -iō. 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 "erection", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

eruption#14,526examiner#14,527engraved#14,522doubtful#14,517

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

fidelity12 variantscruising12 variantshardened12 variantshaunting12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list