expression

/əkˈspɹɛʃ.n̩/

//əkˈspɹɛʃ.n̩// noun

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

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

The verdict

“expression” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,734. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,734
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The action of expressing thoughts, ideas, feelings, etc.

Corpus desk

Index EN-expression · expression · English

expression · rank #2,734 · 14 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,734
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH experiences

Nearest frequency peer: experiences (-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 “expression”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “expression” 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).

expression vs expressive
80% similar
expression vs expressions
91% similar
expression vs expressing
80% similar

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

Key facts for expression
PropertyValue
Headwordexpression
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əkˈspɹɛʃ.n̩/
Letters10
Frequency rank#2,734
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “expression”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).expressionlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “experiences” (#2,733), “factory” (#2,735), “existence” (#2,732). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “expression” is #2,734. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around expression (IPA /əkˈspɹɛʃ.n̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,734 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for expression, with forms such as "epxression", "experssion", and "exppression". 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, "expressive", "expressions", "expressing", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French expression, from Late Latin expressiō, expressiōnem (“a pressing out”). Morphologically express + -ion. The correct English form is expression, spelled E-X-P-R-E-S-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The action of expressing thoughts, ideas, feelings, etc.
  2. 2
    A particular way of phrasing an idea.
  3. 3
    A colloquialism or idiom.
  4. 4
    A facial appearance usually associated with an emotion.
  5. 5
    An arrangement of symbols denoting values, operations performed on them, and grouping symbols.
  6. 6
    The process of translating a gene into a protein.
  7. 7
    A piece of code in a high-level language that returns a value.
  8. 8
    A specific blend of whisky.
  9. 9
    The act of pressing or squeezing out.
  10. 10
    The tone of voice or sound in music.
  11. 11
    Emotional involvement or engagement in a text read aloud rendered by the voice of the reciter or the reader.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There are lots of great actresses who dress beautifully, but in the modern day, nearly all of them use stylists. They may know what they like—when they’re presented with gowns and outfits, they’re perfectly equipped to say yes or no—but you rarely get the sense that what they’re wearing is a true expression of who they are.
  2. The expression "break a leg!" should not be taken literally.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French expression, from Late Latin expressiō, expressiōnem (“a pressing out”). Morphologically express + -ion.

This word in other languages

expresión(Español)expression(Français)Ausdruck(Deutsch)expressão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • epxression
  • experssion
  • exppression
  • expresion
  • expresison
  • expressino
  • expressionn
  • expressoin
  • exprestion
  • exprression
  • exprsesion
  • exrpession
  • exxpression
  • xepression

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epxression2experssion2exppression1expresion1expresison2expressino2expressionn1expressoin2
Edit distance from "expression"

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 "expression"?
"expression" is spelled E-X-P-R-E-S-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əkˈspɹɛʃ.n̩/.
What does "expression" mean?
As a noun, "expression" means: The action of expressing thoughts, ideas, feelings, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "expression"?
"expression" is commonly confused with "expressive", "expressions", "expressing". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "expression"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "expression" is /əkˈspɹɛʃ.n̩/. 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 "expression"?
Borrowed from Middle French expression, from Late Latin expressiō, expressiōnem (“a pressing out”). Morphologically express + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "expression", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

electronic#2,730resistance#2,756tournament#2,705revolution#2,699

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

existence14 variantspractices14 variantsexpansion14 variantsdepression14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list