excursion

/ɪkˈskɜː.ʃən/

//ɪkˈskɜː.ʃən// noun

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

The verdict

“excursion” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,818 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#18,818
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A brief recreational trip; a journey out of the usual way.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

excursion vs expulsion
78% similar
excursion vs excision
78% similar
excursion vs exclusion
78% similar

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

Key facts for excursion
PropertyValue
Headwordexcursion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪkˈskɜː.ʃən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#18,818
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “excursion” 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). excursion 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 excursion is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪkˈskɜː.ʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,818 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 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 excursion, with forms such as "ecxursion", "exccursion", and "excrusion". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "expulsion", "excision", "exclusion", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin excursiō (“a running out, an inroad, invasion, a setting out, beginning of a speech”), from excurrere (“to run out”), from ex (“out”) + currere (“to run”). By surface analysis, excurse + -ion. The correct English form is excursion, spelled E-X-C-U-R-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A brief recreational trip; a journey out of the usual way.
  2. 2
    A field trip.
  3. 3
    A wandering from the main subject: a digression.
  4. 4
    An occurrence where an aircraft runs off the end or side of a runway or taxiway, usually during takeoff, landing, or taxi.
  5. 5
    A deviation in pitch, for example in the syllables of enthusiastic speech.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin excursiō (“a running out, an inroad, invasion, a setting out, beginning of a speech”), from excurrere (“to run out”), from ex (“out”) + currere (“to run”). By surface analysis, excurse + -ion.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ecxursion,exccursion,excrusion,excurison,excurrsion,excursino,excursionn,excursoin,excurssion,excurtion,excusrion,exucrsion,exxcursion,xecursion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of excursion - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ecxursion2exccursion1excrusion2excurison2excurrsion1excursino2excursionn1excursoin2
Edit distance from "excursion"

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 "excursion"?
"excursion" is spelled E-X-C-U-R-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪkˈskɜː.ʃən/.
What does "excursion" mean?
As a noun, "excursion" means: A brief recreational trip; a journey out of the usual way.
What words are commonly confused with "excursion"?
"excursion" is commonly confused with "expulsion", "excision", "exclusion". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "excursion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "excursion" is /ɪkˈskɜː.ʃən/. 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 "excursion"?
Borrowed from Latin excursiō (“a running out, an inroad, invasion, a setting out, beginning of a speech”), from excurrere (“to run out”), from ex (“out”) + currere (“to run”). By surface analysis, excurse + -ion. 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 “excursion”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-X-C-U-R-S-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪkˈskɜː.ʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “expulsion” - see the side-by-side comparison. excursion vs expulsion
  • 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