# fission

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈfɪʃən/ · frequency rank #25,059

## Definitions
1. The process whereby one item splits to become two.
2. nuclear fission: The process of splitting the nucleus of an atom into smaller particles.
3. The process by which a bacterium splits to form two daughter cells.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin fissiōnem, accusative singular of fissiō (“the act of breaking up”), from findō (“split, divide”).

## Easily confused with
- **fusion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fission-vs-fusion)
- **fashion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fashion-vs-fission)
- **fiction** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fiction-vs-fission)
- **fissile** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fissile-vs-fission)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ffission`, `fision`, `fisison`, `fissino`, `fissionn`, `fissoin`, `fistion`, `fsision`, `ifssion`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/fission