fissure

/ˈfɪʃ.ə/

//ˈfɪʃ.ə// noun

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

"fissure" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fissure” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,143. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,143
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A long, narrow crack or opening made by breaking or splitting, especially in rock or earth.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fissure · fissure · English

fissure · rank #36,143 · 8 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,143
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fibrillation

Nearest frequency peer: fibrillation (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “fissure”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “fissure” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

fissure vs fixture
71% similar
fissure vs figure
71% similar
fissure vs fissile
71% similar

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

Key facts for fissure
PropertyValue
Headwordfissure
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɪʃ.ə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#36,143
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fissure” 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).fissurelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “fibrillation” (#36,142), “fizzy” (#36,144), “flutes” (#36,145). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around fissure (IPA /ˈfɪʃ.ə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #36,143 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for fissure, with forms such as "ffissure", "fissrue", and "fissuer". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "fixture", "figure", "fissile", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fissure, from Old French fissure, from Latin fissūra (“a cleft, chink”), from findō (“to cleave, split, divide”) + -tūra (nominal suffix). The correct English form is fissure, spelled F-I-S-S-U-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A long, narrow crack or opening made by breaking or splitting, especially in rock or earth.
  2. 2
    A groove, deep furrow, elongated cleft or tear between body parts or in the substance of an organ.
  3. 3
    A break or slit in tissue usually at the junction of skin and mucous membrane.
  4. 4
    A state of incompatibility or disagreement.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. After Miller's Dale Junction, the main Derby-Manchester line crosses the Wye for the last time and turns north-west up Great Rocks Dale, a natural fissure several miles long.

Etymology

From Middle English fissure, from Old French fissure, from Latin fissūra (“a cleft, chink”), from findō (“to cleave, split, divide”) + -tūra (nominal suffix).

This word in other languages

grieta(Español)fissure(Français)Riss(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffissure
  • fissrue
  • fissuer
  • fissurre
  • fisure
  • fisusre
  • fsisure
  • ifssure

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffissure1fissrue2fissuer2fissurre1fisure1fisusre2fsisure2ifssure2
Edit distance from "fissure"

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 "fissure"?
"fissure" is spelled F-I-S-S-U-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɪʃ.ə/.
What does "fissure" mean?
As a noun, "fissure" means: A long, narrow crack or opening made by breaking or splitting, especially in rock or earth.
What words are commonly confused with "fissure"?
"fissure" is commonly confused with "fixture", "figure", "fissile". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fissure"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fissure" is /ˈfɪʃ.ə/. 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 "fissure"?
From Middle English fissure, from Old French fissure, from Latin fissūra (“a cleft, chink”), from findō (“to cleave, split, divide”) + -tūra (nominal suffix). 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 "fissure", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

exclaim#36,135Donahue#36,111Hogarth#36,176Houdini#36,178

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

eunuch8 variantsgrins8 variantsElwood8 variantsDolph8 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "fissure". Here's where to go from here.

  • "fissure" maps to 4 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "fixture". View pair
  • 8 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #36,143 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "F" letter cohort. F–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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