fraction

/ˈfɹæk.ʃən/

//ˈfɹæk.ʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“fraction” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,566. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,566
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A part of a whole, especially a comparatively small part.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fraction · fraction · English

fraction · rank #7,566 · 13 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,566
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH forbidden

Nearest frequency peer: forbidden (-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 “fraction”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “fraction” 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).

fraction vs function
75% similar
fraction vs friction
88% similar
fraction vs fruition
75% similar

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

Key facts for fraction
PropertyValue
Headwordfraction
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɹæk.ʃən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#7,566
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fraction”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “forbidden” (#7,565), “flu” (#7,564), “hes” (#7,568). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fraction” is #7,566. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around fraction (IPA /ˈfɹæk.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #7,566 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for fraction, with forms such as "farction", "ffraction", and "fracction". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "function", "friction", "fruition", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Middle English fraccioun English fraction From Middle English fraccioun (“a breaking”), from Anglo-Norman, Old French fraccion, from Medieval Latin fractio (“a fragment, portion”), from earlier Latin fractio (“a breaking, a breaking into piec… The correct English form is fraction, spelled F-R-A-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A part of a whole, especially a comparatively small part.
  2. 2
    A ratio of two numbers (numerator and denominator), usually written one above the other and separated by a horizontal bar called the vinculum or, alternatively, in sequence on the same line and separated by a solidus (diagonal bar).
  3. 3
    A component of a mixture, separated by fractionation.
  4. 4
    In a eucharistic service, the breaking of the host.
  5. 5
    A small amount.
  6. 6
    The act of breaking, or state of being broken, especially by violence.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get[…]
  2. Gasoline prices show the mill as a fraction, for example $3.59+⁹⁄₁₀.

Etymology

Etymology tree Middle English fraccioun English fraction From Middle English fraccioun (“a breaking”), from Anglo-Norman, Old French fraccion, from Medieval Latin fractio (“a fragment, portion”), from earlier Latin fractio (“a breaking, a breaking into pieces”), from fractus, past participle of frangere (“to break”) (whence English frangible), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (English break). Doublet of frazione.

Synonyms

fraction

This word in other languages

fracción(Español)fraction(Français)Bruchteil(Deutsch)fração(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • farction
  • ffraction
  • fracction
  • fraciton
  • fracsion
  • fractino
  • fractionn
  • fractoin
  • fracttion
  • fratcion
  • frcation
  • frraction
  • rfaction

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

farction2ffraction1fracction1fraciton2fracsion1fractino2fractionn1fractoin2
Edit distance from "fraction"

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 "fraction"?
"fraction" is spelled F-R-A-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɹæk.ʃən/.
What does "fraction" mean?
As a noun, "fraction" means: A part of a whole, especially a comparatively small part.
What words are commonly confused with "fraction"?
"fraction" is commonly confused with "function", "friction", "fruition". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fraction"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fraction" is /ˈfɹæk.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 "fraction"?
Etymology tree Middle English fraccioun English fraction From Middle English fraccioun (“a breaking”), from Anglo-Norman, Old French fraccion, from Medieval Latin fractio (“a fragment, portion”), from earlier Latin fractio (“a breaking, a breaking... 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 "fraction", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Florence#7,563infantry#7,569integral#7,570investor#7,571

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

Cincinnati13 variantswholesale13 variantstendency13 variantssuspicion13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list